Warm and Hot Gas and the Evolution of Dwarf Galaxies

This paper discusses results of multi-wavelength studies of low-mass galaxies with outflows. As a case study the extreme low-metallicity dwarf galaxy I Zw 18 is presented. The results from HST imaging, long-slit echelle spectroscopy and X-ray imaging are discussed in the context of chemical enrichment of dwarf galaxies. If outflows work primarily as a temporary repository of metals and not as a loss of metals into the intergalactic medium, we show that galactic winds can explain the relatively low N/O scatter seen in nearby low-metallicity dwarf galaxies as well as the apparent increase of N/O scatter observed in damped Ly_α systems with metallicities near that of I Zw 18and below. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.