Numerical studies on the structure of the cosmic ray electron halo in starburst galaxies

Abstract

The structure of the cosmic ray electron halo of a starburst galaxy depends strongly on the nature of galactic wind and the configuration of the magnetic field. We have investigated these dependencies by solving numerically the propagation of electrons originating in starburst galaxies, most likely in supernova remnants. The calculations are made for several models for the galactic winds and for the configuration of the magnetic fields for comparison with observations. Our simulation of a quasi-radio halo reproduces both the extended structure of ~ 9 kpc and the subtle hollow structure near the polar region of the radio halo that are observed in the starburst galaxy NGC 253. These findings suggest the existence of strong galactic wind in NGC 253.