  Deep Chandra observations (53 ks, ACIS-S3) of NGC 3077, a starburst dwarf
galaxy in the M 81 triplet, resolve the X-ray emission from several
supershells. The emission is brightest in the cavities defined by expanding
shells detected previously in H alpha emission (Martin 1998). Thermal emission
models fitted to the data imply temperatures ranging from ~1.3 to 4.9 x 10^(6)
K and indicate that the strongest absorption is coincident with the densest
clouds traced by CO emission. The fitted emission measures give pressures of
P/k~10^(5-6) xi^(-0.5) f_(v)^(-0.5) K cm^(-3) (xi: metallicity of the hot gas
in solar units, f_(v): volume filling factor). Despite these high pressures,
the radial density profile of the hot gas is not as steep as that expected in a
freely expanding wind (e.g., as seen in the neighboring starburst galaxy M 82)
implying that the hot gas is still confined by the H alpha shells. The chaotic
dynamical state of NGC 3077 undermines reliable estimates of the escape
velocity. The more relevant quantity for the ultimate fate of the outflow is
probably the gas density in the rich intragroup medium. Based on the HI
distribution of NGC 3077 and a connected tidal tail we argue that the wind has
the potential to leave the gravitational well of NGC 3077 to the north but not
to the south. The total 0.3-6.0 keV X-ray luminosity is ~2-5 x 10^(39) erg
s^(-1) (depending on the selected thermal plasma model). Most (~85%) of the
X-ray luminosity in NGC 3077 comes from the hot interstellar gas; the remainder
comes from six X-ray point sources. In spite of previous claims to the
contrary, we do not find X-ray emission originating from the prominent tidal
tail near NGC 3077.
