scholarly journals Molecular gas in galaxies: changing conditions from disks to starbursts

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S315) ◽  
pp. 199-206
Author(s):  
Christine D. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Interstellar Medium ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Physical State ◽  
Active Galaxies ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Central Question ◽  
Space Observatory ◽  
Nearby Galaxies

AbstractIn understanding galaxy evolution, one central question is how star formation is regulated in galaxies. Changes in star formation rates are likely tied to changes in the interstellar medium, particularly the molecular gas which is the fuel for star formation. I will discuss our recent results which use data from the Herschel Space Observatory, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, and other telescopes to determine the typical density, temperature, and surface density of the molecular gas in various nearby galaxies. Comparing the properties of molecular gas in starburst and other active galaxies with more quiescent spiral disks provides some clues as to how changes in the physical state of the gas, such as mean density, can lead to enhanced star formation rates.

scholarly journals High-J CO Intensity Measurements for Galaxies Observed by the Herschel FTS

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S315) ◽  
pp. 26-29
Author(s):  
Julia Kamenetzky ◽  
Naseem Rangwala ◽  
Jason Glenn ◽  
Philip Maloney ◽  
Alex Conley
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Star Forming Regions ◽  
J 13 ◽  
Systematic Effects ◽  
Nearby Galaxies ◽  
Co Emission

AbstractMolecular gas is the raw material for star formation and is commonly traced by the carbon monoxide (CO) molecule. The atmosphere blocks all but the lowest-J transitions of CO for observatories on the ground, but the launch of the Herschel Space Observatory revealed the CO emission of nearby galaxies from J = 4−3 to J = 13−12. Herschel showed that mid- and high-J CO lines in nearby galaxies are emitted from warm gas, accounting for approximately 10% of the molecular mass, but the majority of the CO luminosity. The energy budget of this warm, highly-excited gas is a significant window into the feedback interactions among molecular gas, star formation, and galaxy evolution. Likely, mechanical heating is required to explain the excitation. Such gas has also been observed in star forming regions within our galaxy.We have examined all ~300 spectra of galaxies from the Herschel Fourier Transform Spectrometer and measured line fluxes or upper limits for the CO J = 4−3 to J = 13−12, [CI], and [NII] 205 micron lines in ~200 galaxies, taking systematic effects of the FTS into account. We will present our line fitting method, illustrate trends available so far in this large sample, and preview the full 2-component radiative transfer likelihood modeling of the CO emission using an illustrative sample of 20 galaxies, including comparisons to well-resolved galactic regions. This work is a comprehensive study of mid- and high-J CO emission among a variety of galaxy types, and can be used as a resource for future (sub)millimeter studies of galaxies with ground-based instruments.

Molecular Clouds

1977 ◽  
Vol 75 ◽  
pp. 37-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Thaddeus
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Interstellar Medium ◽  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Physical State ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Spectroscopic Techniques ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Recombination Line ◽  
Interstellar Gas ◽  
Impossible Task

To attempt to understand star formation without knowing the physical state of the dense interstellar molecular gas from which stars are made is an almost impossible task. Star formation has developed late as a branch of astrophysics largely for lack of observational data, and in particular, has lagged badly behind the study of the atomic and ionized components of the interstellar gas because spectroscopic techniques which work well at low density have an unfortunate tendency to fail when the density is high. Optical spectroscopy, which has been applied to the interstellar medium for over 70 years, has made little progress in regions of high density because of obscuration, and the same is true a fortiori of spacecraft spectroscopy in the UV; radio 21-cm and recombination line observations, although unhampered by obscuration, are unsatisfactory because the dense condensations are almost entirely molecular in composition.

scholarly journals The ALMaQUEST Survey – II. What drives central starbursts at z ∼ 0?

2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (4) ◽  
pp. 6027-6041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L Ellison ◽  
Mallory D Thorp ◽  
Hsi-An Pan ◽  
Lihwai Lin ◽  
Jillian M Scudder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
Starburst Galaxies ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
Primary Driver ◽  
Nearby Galaxies ◽  
Field Unit ◽  
Formation Efficiency

ABSTRACT Starburst galaxies have elevated star formation rates (SFRs) for their stellar mass. In Ellison et al., we used integral field unit maps of SFR surface density (ΣSFR) and stellar mass surface density (Σ⋆) to show that starburst galaxies in the local universe are driven by SFRs that are preferentially boosted in their central regions. Here, we present molecular gas maps obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observatory for 12 central starburst galaxies at z ∼ 0 drawn from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey. The ALMA and MaNGA data are well matched in spatial resolution, such that the ALMA maps of molecular gas surface density ($\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$) can be directly compared with MaNGA maps at kpc-scale resolution. The combination of $\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$, Σ⋆ and ΣSFR at the same resolution allow us to investigate whether central starbursts are driven primarily by enhancements in star formation efficiency (SFE) or by increased gas fractions. By computing offsets from the resolved Kennicutt-Schmidt relation ($\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$ versus ΣSFR) and the molecular gas main sequence (Σ⋆ versus $\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$), we conclude that the primary driver of the central starburst is an elevated SFE. We also show that the enhancement in ΣSFR is accompanied by a dilution in O/H, consistent with a triggering that is induced by metal poor gas inflow. These observational signatures are found in both undisturbed (9/12 galaxies in our sample) and recently merged galaxies, indicating that both interactions and secular mechanisms contribute to central starbursts.

scholarly journals Influence of velocity dispersions on star-formation activities in galaxies

2020 ◽  
Vol 641 ◽  
pp. A24
Author(s):  
Tsan-Ming Wang ◽  
Chorng-Yuan Hwang
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
High Velocity ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Velocity Dispersion ◽  
Power Index ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Additional Parameter ◽  
Star Formation Activity ◽  
Nearby Galaxies

We investigated the influence of the random velocity of molecular gas on star-formation activities of six nearby galaxies. The physical properties of a molecular cloud, such as temperature and density, influence star-formation activities in the cloud. Additionally, local and turbulent motions of molecules in a cloud may exert substantial pressure on gravitational collapse and thus prevent or reduce star formation in the cloud. However, the influence of gas motion on star-formation activities remains poorly understood. We used data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to obtain 12CO(J = 1 − 0) flux and velocity dispersion. We then combined these data with 3.6 and 8 micron midinfrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope to evaluate the effects of gas motion on star-formation activities in several nearby galaxies. We discovered that relatively high velocity dispersion in molecular clouds corresponds with relatively low star-formation activity. Considering the velocity dispersion as an additional parameter, we derived a modified Kennicutt-Schmidt law with a gas surface density power index of 0.84 and velocity dispersion power index of −0.61.

scholarly journals The Resolved Kennicutt-Schmidt Law in Nearby Galaxies

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S292) ◽  
pp. 335-335
Author(s):  
R. Momose ◽  
J. Koda ◽  
R. C. Kennicutt ◽  
F. Egusa ◽  
S. K. Okumura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Power Law ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Line Emission ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Disk Galaxies ◽  
Nearby Galaxies ◽  
Power Law Index

AbstractThe Kennicutt-Schmidt law (Schmidt 1959; Kennicutt 1998, hereafter K-S law) is a power law correlation between area averaged star formation rate (ΣSFR) and gas surface density (Σgas). Despite its importance, the physics that underlie this correlation has remained unclear. The power law index, N, is a prime discriminator of the mechanisms that regulate star formation and form the K-S law (e.g. Leroy et al. 2008; Tan 2010). We present a study of the resolved K-S law for 10 nearby disk galaxies using our new CO(1-0) data at 750 and 500 pc resolutions. The CO(1-0) line emission is established as a tracer of the molecular gas column density, and results in a super-linear correlation (N = 1.3 and 1.8). We discuss the cause of the discrepancy between previous studies, and the mechanism of star formation indicated from our new results.

scholarly journals The environmental effect on galaxy evolution: Cl J1449 + 0856 at z = 1.99

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (S359) ◽  
pp. 170-172
Author(s):  
Rosemary T. Coogan ◽  
E. Daddi ◽  
R. Gobat ◽  
M. T. Sargent
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Environmental Effect ◽  
Galaxy Cluster ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
The Core

AbstractThis work focuses on understanding the formation of the first massive, passive galaxies in clusters, as a first step to the development of environmental trends seen at low redshift. Cl J1449 + 0856 is an excellent case to study this - a galaxy cluster at redshift z = 1.99 that already shows evidence of a virialised atmosphere. Here we highlight two recent results: the discovery of merger-driven star formation and highly-excited molecular gas in galaxies at the core of Cl J1449, along with the lowest-mass Sunyaev-Zel’dovich detection to date.

scholarly journals A Reference Sample: ISM of the Most Isolated Galaxies

2004 ◽  
Vol 217 ◽  
pp. 220-221
Author(s):  
L. Verdes-Montenegro ◽  
J. Sulentic ◽  
D. Espada ◽  
S. Leon ◽  
U. Lisenfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Interstellar Medium ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Reference Sample ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
Evolution Of Galaxies ◽  
Isolated Galaxies ◽  
Internal Evolution

We are constructing the first complete unbiased control sample of the most isolated galaxies of the northern sky to serve as a template in the study of star formation and galaxy evolution in denser environments. Our goal is to compare and quantify the properties of different phases of the interstellar medium in this sample, as well as the level of star formation, both relevant parameters in the internal evolution of galaxies and strongly conditioned by the environment. To achieve this goal we are building a multiwavelength database for this sample to compare and quantify the properties of different phases of the ISM.

scholarly journals Molecules as tracers of galaxy evolution

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S292) ◽  
pp. 199-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Aalto
Keyword(s):  
Black Holes ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Stimulated Emission ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Infrared Galaxies ◽  
Luminous Infrared Galaxies

AbstractStudying the molecular phase of the interstellar medium in galaxies is fundamental for the understanding of the onset and evolution of star formation and the growth of supermassive black holes. We can use molecules as observational tools exploiting them as tracers of chemical, physical and dynamical conditions. In this short review, key molecules (e.g. HCN, HCO+, HNC, HC3N, CN, H3O+) in identifying the nature of buried activity and its evolution are discussed including some standard astrochemical scenarios. Furthermore, we can use IR excited molecular emission to probe the very inner regions of luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) allowing us to get past the optically thick dust barrier of the compact obscured nuclei, e.g. in the dusty LIRG NGC4418. High resolution studies are often necessary to separate effects of excitation and radiative transport from those of chemistry - one example is absorption and effects of stimulated emission in the ULIRG Arp220. Finally, molecular gas in large scale galactic outflows is briefly discussed.

scholarly journals SKA studies of nearby galaxies: star-formation, accretion processes and molecular gas across all environments

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob J. Beswick ◽  
Elias Brinks ◽  
Miguel Perez-Torres ◽  
Anita Richards ◽  
Susanne Aalto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Nearby Galaxies

Perseus arm - a new perspective on star formation and spiral structure in our home galaxy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Wienen ◽  
C M Brunt ◽  
C L Dobbs ◽  
D Colombo
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Data Cube ◽  
High Angular Resolution ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Linear Scale ◽  
Perseus Arm ◽  
Spiral Arm

Abstract Expansion of (sub)millimetre capabilities to high angular resolution offered with interferometers allows to resolve giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in nearby galaxies. This enables us to place the Milky Way in the context of other galaxies to advance our understanding of star formation in our own Galaxy. We thus remap 12CO (1 - 0) data along the Perseus spiral arm in the outer Milky Way to a fixed physical resolution and present the first spiral arm data cube at a common distance as it would be seen by an observer outside the Milky Way. To achieve this goal we calibrated the longitude-velocity structure of 12CO gas of the outer Perseus arm based on trigonometric distances and maser velocities provided by the BeSSeL survey. The molecular gas data were convolved to the same spatial resolution along the whole spiral arm and regridded on to a linear scale map with the coordinate system transformed to the spiral arm reference frame. We determined the width of the Perseus spiral arm to be 7.8 ± 0.2 km s−1 around the kinematic arm centre. To study the large scale structure we derived the 12CO gas mass surface density distribution of velocities shifted to the kinematic arm centre and arm length. This yields a variation of the gas mass surface density along the arm length and a compression of molecular gas mass at linear scale. We determined a thickness of ∼63 pc on average for the Perseus spiral arm and a centroid of the molecular layer of 8.7 pc.

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