We present ROSAT observations and analysis of thirteen superbubbles in theLarge Magellanic Cloud. Eleven of these observations have not been previouslyreported. We have studied the X-ray morphology of the superbubbles, and haveextracted and analyzed their X-ray spectra. Diffuse X-ray emission is detectedfrom each of these superbubbles, and X-ray emission is brighter than istheoretically expected for a wind-blown bubble, suggesting that the X-rayemission from the superbubbles has been enhanced by interactions between thesuperbubble shell and interior SNRs. We have also found significant positivecorrelations between the X-ray luminosity of a superbubble and its H-alphaluminosity, expansion velocity, and OB star count. Further, we have found thata large fraction of the superbubbles in the sample show evidence of``breakout'' regions, where hot X-ray emitting gas extends beyond the H-alphashell.
展开▼
