Hot Gas in the Low-Metallicity Star-Forming Small Magellanic Cloud

The hot phase of the interstellar medium in a galaxy is produced by the energyfeedback of massive stars. Although the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) offers anideal laboratory for the study of hot gas generated by active star formation ina low metallicity environment, there have as yet been few studies of thisdiffuse component. Thus, we propose mediumdepth XMMNewton observations of 5previously unobserved fields along the main body of the SMC. These fieldscontain regions of active star formation. The mechanical energy of stellar windsand supernovae from massive stars have created interstellar structures filledwith hot gas, on a variety of scales. We will analyze the Xray andmultiwavelength data to quantitatively assess the stellar energy feedback. truncated!, Please see actual data for full text [truncated!, Please see actual data for full text]