Investigating Feedback-DrivenBubbles in the Star-Forming GalaxyM51

Sammanfattning

Stellar feedback from massive stars and stellar clusters shapes the interstellar mediumand can create large bubble-like structures. In this thesis, eight feedback-driven bubbles in a star-forming region of the spiral galaxy M51 are investigated using datafrom the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Hubble Space Telescope(HST). The emerging Young Star Clusters (eYSCs) and optical clusters located inthese bubbles are analyzed using the FEAST programs cluster catalogs. In addition,radial photometry is performed on four of the bubbles to investigate the distributions of stellar emission, ionized gas, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)emission.The results show that eYSCs are predominantly located in the shells of the bubbles,while optical clusters are found in the entire bubbles. The cluster population in theshells contain a higher fraction of young and massive clusters while the centers ofthe bubbles show signs of older stellar populations. Surface brightness profiles further show that emission tracing HII regions and photo-dissociation regions peaks inthe shells. Together, these results suggest that stellar feedback from multiple generations of stars has played an important role shaping the bubbles and influencingsubsequent star formation in the bubbles’ shells.