X-RAY-GAL · X-ray studies of nearby galaxies

The current suite of X-ray observations provides a new window to address questions related to stellar evolution, formation of compact objects, and galaxy evolution. To tackle these questions I propose to study a carefully selected, representative sample of nearby star-forming galaxies spanning a wide range of morphological types and starformation properties. I will employ high quality observations in X-ray, optical and infrared wavebands from major space observatories (Chandra, XMM-Newton, HST and Spitzer) and ground-based facilities. These multiwavelength observations will be used to: (a) decompose the galactic X-ray emission to the discrete X-ray source and diffuse components and measure their parameters; (b) identify multiwavelength associations of the X–ray sources and (c) derive star-formation histories for different regions of the galaxies. The comparison of the X-ray source populations (classified based on their X-ray properties and multiwavelength associations), with the star-formation histories and the galactic parameters will provide a direct picture of their connection. Similar comparisons for the diffuse emission will address the heating and chemical enrichment mechanisms of the gas. Finally comparison of the observational results with prediction from state of the art X-ray binary population synthesis models will constrain channels of binary formation and evolution and will elucidate the physical mechanisms of the connection between X-ray source populations (and hence compact objects) and of star-formation. This project will produce a heritage dataset for future studies of nearby galaxies, while its results will have implications for X-ray studies of galaxies in cosmological distances, studies of gravitational wave sources, and galaxy evolution.