Using Wolf-Rayet regions as a unique laboratory to study star formation and stellar feedback

The onset of star formation from molecular clouds and the details of stellar feedback to the interstellar medium (ISM) are among the most important yet unresolved mysteries in galaxy evolution. Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars are the post–main sequence stage of high-mass stars, with stellar ages of 2-10 Myr. Thanks to such short lifetime, they are ideal sites to study star formation and stellar feedback. With the newly available (extended) sample of about 50 nearby galaxies from the PHANGS project observed by VLT/MUSE, this project systematically searches for WR regions defined by their distinct spectral features at physical resolutions of ~50 pc. Combined with multi-wavelength data from the PHANGS project, this catalogue facilitates the following studies: (1) to understand the properties and destruction timescale of the parental molecular clouds of WR regions; (2) to look for evidence for stochastic sampling of the initial mass function in star cluster SED modelling by using WR regions as a precise and accurate age timer; (3) to put constraints on pre-supernova feedback (in metallicity, pressure, temperature, density, etc.) and to reveal the ISM properties immediately before supernova explosion. This poster presents the catalogue construction and showcases explorative investigation in these directions.