Observation of the starburst galaxy M82 with SOFIA/FIFI-LS

The so called "Cigar Galaxy" M82 is a well-observed nearby starburst galaxy at 3.5 Mpc. Due to its proximity it is one of the closest laboratories to study massive starburst phenomena in detail. Radio observations revealed two Ultra Luminous X-Ray Sources (ULXs) near its center. Optical and near- infrared (NIR) observations focused on super star clusters in the core of M82 while the cool and warm molecular interstellar medium (ISM) was investigated using Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) observations in the mid-infrared (MIR) and far-infrared (FIR). We present new [CII] 157μm observations on the galactic wind emerging perpendicular to the disk of M82 at high velocities obtained with FIFI-LS onboard SOFIA using its spectral mapping capability. Our data also extend the investigation on the processes prevailing in the core of M82 by using spectral lines that were previously inaccessible, e.g., [OIII] 52μm, in particular at high angular resolution of about 6 arcsec.