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[26.12] Normal Spiral Galaxies Really Do Have Hot Gas in Their Halos: Chandra Observations of NGC 4013 and NGC 4217.

D.K. Strickland (JHU), E.J.M. Colbert (CUA), T.M. Heckman, C.G. Hoopes (JHU), J.C. Howk (UCSD), R.J. Rand (UNM)

Although soft X-ray emission from million degree plasma has long been observed in the halos of starburst galaxies known to have supernova-driven galactic superwinds, X-ray observations have generally failed to detect hot halos around normal spiral galaxies. Indeed, the Milky Way and NGC 891 have historically been the only genuinely "normal" spiral galaxies with unambiguous X-ray halo detections, until now. Here we report on deep observations of NGC 4013 and NGC 4217, two Milky-Way-mass spiral galaxies with star formation rates per unit area similar to the Milky Way and NGC 891, using the Chandra X-ray observatory. Preliminary investigation of the observations clearly show extra-planar diffuse X-ray emission extending several kpc into the halo of NGC 4013. We will present the results of these observations, compare them to the non-detections of hot gas around normal spirals, and relate them to galactic fountain and IGM accretion based models for hot halos.

DKS acknowledges funding from NASA through the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. grant G045095X.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.