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C. G. Hoopes, K. R. Sembach, J. C. Howk (JHU), FUSE Science Team
We present the initial results of a Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) survey of O VI 1032,1038Å~ absorption toward 14 early type stars located throughout the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The O VI doublet is the best probe of hot collisionally-ionized gas at temperatures near 3\times105 K in the ultraviolet spectral region. We detect O VI absorption toward all of the stars, with column densities, log N(O VI), ranging from ~14.3 to ~14.7. There is a correlation between the O VI column density and proximity of the sight line to a star forming region, with the largest columns occurring near the HII region NGC 346 and in the southwestern HII complex. The O VI line widths (FWHM) range from 80 to >100 km s-1, and are largest in the direction of star forming regions. We compare the O VI column density distribution with the locations of supernova remnants and expanding shells, and discuss the evidence for an extended halo of hot gas around the SMC. We also compare the kinematics of the O VI absorption to that of other gas phases (e.g., HI, H2). We briefly comment on O VI absorption in the Milky Way halo in the direction of the SMC.
This work is based on data obtained for the FUSE Guaranteed Time Team by the NASA-CNES-CSA FUSE mission operated for NASA by The Johns Hopkins University. Financial support to U. S. participants has been provided by NASA contract NAS5-32985.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: choopes@pha.jhu.edu