Modeling the physical properties in the ISM of the low-metallicity
  galaxy NGC4214
  We present a model for the interstellar medium of NGC4214 with the objective
to probe the physical conditions in the two main star-forming regions and their
connection with the star formation activity of the galaxy. We used the spectral
synthesis code Cloudy to model an HII region and the associated
photodissociation region (PDR) to reproduce the emission of mid- and
far-infrared fine-structure cooling lines from the Spitzer and Herschel space
telescopes for these two regions. Input parameters of the model, such as
elemental abundances and star formation history, are guided by earlier studies
of the galaxy, and we investigated the effect of the mode in which star
formation takes place (bursty or continuous) on the line emission. Furthermore,
we tested the effect of adding pressure support with magnetic fields and
turbulence on the line predictions. We find that this model can satisfactorily
predict (within a factor of ~2) all observed lines that originate from the
ionized medium ([SIV] 10.5um, [NeIII] 15.6um, [SIII] 18.7um, [SIII] 33.5um, and
[OIII] 88um), with the exception of [NeII] 12.8um and [NII] 122um, which may
arise from a lower ionization medium. In the PDR, the [OI] 63um, [OI] 145um,
and [CII] 157um lines are matched within a factor of ~5 and work better when
weak pressure support is added to the thermal pressure or when the PDR clouds
are placed farther away from the HII regions and have covering factors lower
than unity. Our models of the HII region agree with different evolutionary
stages found in previous studies, with a more evolved, diffuse central region,
and a younger, more compact southern region. However, the local PDR conditions
are averaged out on the 175 pc scales that we probe and do not reflect
differences observed in the star formation properties of the two regions.
