The Structure and Morphology of the Ionized Gas in Starburst Galaxies: NGC5253/5236

(Abridged) We investigate the interplay between starbursts and host galaxies by studying the structure and physical characteristics of the ionized gas surrounding the central starbursts in the two nearby galaxies NGC5253 and NGC5236. The two systems represent very different galactic environments, NGC5253 being a metal-poor dwarf, and NGC5236 being a metal-rich, massive spiral. We present images of the starburst regions in these two galaxies in the line emission [OIII], H-alpha, and [SII], and in continuum U, V, R. For NGC5253, line ratio maps [OIII]/H-beta and [SII]/H-alpha show that in the outer regions the diffuse ionized gas (DIG) is partially excited by a non-photoionization process (shocks'). The shocked’ gas is mostly concentrated south-west of the galaxy’s center, in coincidence with the position of H-alpha bubbles and with extended soft X-ray emission. The H-alpha emission from the shock-excited gas is ~1-2% of the total. About 80-90% of the DIG is consistent with being photoionized, requiring that about 10% of the ionizing photons escape from the starburst site. The starburst in NGC5253 appears to be fed by gas infalling along the galaxy’s optical minor axis, while hot gas expanding from the starburst has a preferential direction along the major axis. The results for NGC5236 are less clear than for NGC5253, as the images are not as deep. The emission line ratio maps show very little or no evidence for presence of shock excitation and very little or no ionized gas appears expanding from the center of the galaxy outward along the disk plane. The starburst in NGC5236 is thus more strongly confined than that in NGC5253, probably due to the deeper gravitational potential well of the more massive galaxy.