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Description
Using archived data from the Chandra X-ray telescope, we have extracted the diffuse X-ray emission from 49 equal-mass interacting/merging galaxy pairs in a merger sequence, from widely separated pairs to merger remnants. After the removal of contributions from unresolved point sources, we compared the diffuse thermal X-ray luminosity from hot gas (L_X_(gas)) with the global star formation rate (SFR). After correction for absorption within the target galaxy, we do not see a strong trend of L_X_(gas)/SFR with the SFR or merger stage for galaxies with SFR>1 M_{sun}_/yr. For these galaxies, the median L_X_(gas)/SFR is 5.5x10^39^ ((erg/s)/M_{sun}_/yr), similar to that of normal spiral galaxies. These results suggest that stellar feedback in star-forming galaxies reaches an approximately steady-state condition, in which a relatively constant fraction of about 2% of the total energy output from supernovae and stellar winds is converted into X-ray flux. Three late-stage merger remnants with low SFRs and high K-band luminosities (L_K_) have enhanced L_X_(gas)/SFR; their UV/IR/optical colors suggest that they are post-starburst galaxies, perhaps in the process of becoming ellipticals. Systems with L_K_<10^10^ L_{sun}_ have lower L_X_(gas)/SFR ratios than the other galaxies in our sample, perhaps due to lower gravitational fields or lower metallicities. We see no relation between L_X_(gas)/SFR and Seyfert activity in this sample, suggesting that feedback from active galactic nuclei is not a major contributor to the hot gas in our sample galaxies.
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