An X-ray Mini-survey of Nearby Edge-on Starburst Galaxies II. The Question of Metal Abundance

K. A. Weaver, T. Heckman, M. Dahlem

Published 1999-11-24Version 1

(abbreviated) We have undertaken an X-ray survey of a far-infrared flux limited sample of seven nearby edge-on starburst galaxies. Here, we examine the two X-ray-brightest sample members NGC 253 and M 82 in a self-consistent manner, taking account of the spatial distribution of the X-ray emission in choosing our spectral models. There is significant X-ray absorption in the disk of NGC 253. When this is accounted for we find that multi-temperature thermal plasma models with significant underlying soft X-ray absorption are more consistent with the imaging data than single-temperature models with highly subsolar abundances or models with minimal absorption and non-equilibrium thermal ionization conditions. Our models do not require absolute abundances that are inconsistent with solar values or unusually supersolar ratios of the alpha-burning elements with respect to Fe (as claimed previously). We conclude that with current data, the technique of measuring abundances in starburst galaxies via X-ray spectral modeling is highly uncertain. Based on the point-like nature of much of the X-ray emission in the PSPC hard-band image of NGC 253, we suggest that a significant fraction of the ``extended'' X-ray emission in the 3-10 keV band seen along the disk of the galaxy with ASCA and BeppoSAX (Cappi et al.) is comprised of discrete sources in the disk, as opposed to purely diffuse, hot gas. This could explain the low Fe abundances of ~1/4 solar derived for pure thermal models.