A three-dimensional, multi-wavelength view and time-dependent analysis of the Milky Way's local ionized gas

This work is the continuation of a series attempting to characterize the local warm ionized medium through both static and time dependent simulations. We build upon our three dimensional, observationally-derived simulation of the local photoionized interstellar medium - based on static photoionization simulations constrained by 3D dust maps - to include metals required to predict collisionally excited optical and infrared emission lines, providing the first all-sky prediction of a series of lines including [SII] 6716$\mathring{A}$, [NII] 6584$\mathring{A}$ and [OIII] 5007$\mathring{A}$. While these predictions only include O-star photoionization under ionization equilibrium, we also carry out a suite of radiation-hydrodynamics simulations including time-dependent metal ionization and the effects of supernova feedback to highlight missing features in our predicted skies. We use the simulations to estimate the very local (1 $\rm kpc^{2}$) Galactic star formation rate, finding a rate of 370 $\rm M_{\odot}~Myr^{-1}~kpc^{-2}$ provides the best match between the observationally-derived and ab-initio simulations. This is approximately a factor of four lower than previous estimates for the star formation rate required to support an observed layer of high-altitude diffuse ionized gas, possibly suggesting a `bursty' star formation history in the region surrounding the Sun. We also investigate the effects of O-star environments on their ability to ionize large volumes of diffuse ionized gas, and find it is likely ionized by a small number of luminous O-stars located in regions where the leakage of their Lyman continuum photons can produce the vast volumes of ionized gas observed in the midplane and at high galactic altitudes.

Publication Details

Journal
ArXiv.org
Published
2025-06-21
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

A three-dimensional, multi-wavelength view and time-dependent analysis of the Milky Way's local ionized gas

ArXiv.org
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
article

A three-dimensional, multi-wavelength view and time-dependent analysis of the Milky Way's local ionized gas

article en

Abstract

This work is the continuation of a series attempting to characterize the local warm ionized medium through both static and time dependent simulations. We build upon our three dimensional, observationally-derived simulation of the local photoionized interstellar medium - based on static photoionization simulations constrained by 3D dust maps - to include metals required to predict collisionally excited optical and infrared emission lines, providing the first all-sky prediction of a series of lines including [SII] 6716$\mathring{A}$, [NII] 6584$\mathring{A}$ and [OIII] 5007$\mathring{A}$. While these predictions only include O-star photoionization under ionization equilibrium, we also carry out a suite of radiation-hydrodynamics simulations including time-dependent metal ionization and the effects of supernova feedback to highlight missing features in our predicted skies. We use the simulations to estimate the very local (1 $\rm kpc^{2}$) Galactic star formation rate, finding a rate of 370 $\rm M_{\odot}~Myr^{-1}~kpc^{-2}$ provides the best match between the observationally-derived and ab-initio simulations. This is approximately a factor of four lower than previous estimates for the star formation rate required to support an observed layer of high-altitude diffuse ionized gas, possibly suggesting a `bursty' star formation history in the region surrounding the Sun. We also investigate the effects of O-star environments on their ability to ionize large volumes of diffuse ionized gas, and find it is likely ionized by a small number of luminous O-stars located in regions where the leakage of their Lyman continuum photons can produce the vast volumes of ionized gas observed in the midplane and at high galactic altitudes.

ArXiv.org
Openalex Percentile: Top 57%
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.