Starburst‐driven Mass Loss from Dwarf Galaxies: Efficiency and Metal Ejection

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Abstract
We model the effects of repeated supernova (SN) explosions from starbursts in dwarf galaxies on the interstellar medium of these galaxies, taking into account the gravitational potential of their dominant dark matter halos. We explore SN rates from one every 30,000 yr to one every 3 Myr, equivalent to steady mechanical luminosities of L=0.1-10×1038 ergs s−1, occurring in dwarf galaxies with gas masses Mg=106-109 M☉. We address in detail, both analytically and numerically, the following three questions: 1. When do the SN ejecta blow out of the disk of the galaxy? 2. When blowout occurs, what fraction of the interstellar gas is blown away, escaping the potential of the galactic halo? 3. What happens to the metals ejected from the massive stars of the starburst? Are they retained or blown away?