MOLECULAR GAS AND STAR-FORMATION PROPERTIES IN THE CENTRAL AND BAR REGIONS OF NGC 6946

Observations of the distribution of the CO-molecule in several prominent late-type galaxies indicate that the central HI depressions may very well be filled in with molecular gas. One such galaxy is M83 (NGC 5236) and, although the angular resolution of the CO-observations is insufficient to discern details on the scale of a spiral arm, it is known that CO is concentrated in the central regions within a radius of 1′. Furthermore, at a resolution of 50″, the CO profile at the position of the nucleus is as bright in M83 as it is for example in NGC 6946, IC 346 and M51.

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Building up mass in the centers of late type galaxies

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921308017560 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 3 (S245) ◽

pp. 169-172

Author(s):

E. Schinnerer ◽

T. Böker ◽

E. Emsellem ◽

U. Lisenfeld ◽

D. Downes

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Line Emission ◽

Hii Regions ◽

Small Scale ◽

Molecular Gas ◽

Late Type ◽

Central Mass ◽

Ngc 6946 ◽

First Time

AbstractWe present highest angular resolution (~ 1″ and 0.35″) mm-interferometric observations of the HCN(1-0), 12CO(1-0) and 12CO(2-1) line emission in the central 300 pc of the late-type spiral galaxy NGC 6946. The data, obtained with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) shows for the first time a molecular gas spiral in the inner ~ 10″ (270 pc) with a large concentration of molecular gas ($M_{H_2} \sim\,1.6\times10^7\,M_{\odot}$) within the inner 60 pc, The gas distribution in the central 50 pc has been resolved and is consistent with a gas ring or spiral driven by a bar. Both the distribution of the molecular gas as well as its kinematics can be well explained by the influence of an inner stellar bar of about 400 pc length as tested via a qualitative model for the gas flow. NGC 6946 is a prime example of molecular gas kinematics being driven by a small-scale, secondary stellar bar.For the first time, it is possible to directly compare the location of (dense) giant molecular clouds with that of (optically) visible HII regions in space-based images. We use the 3 mm continuum and the HCN emission to estimate in the central 50 pc the star formation rates in young clusters that are still embedded in their parent clouds and hence are missed in optical and near-IR surveys of star formation. The amount of embedded star formation is about 1.6 times as high as that measured from HII regions alone, and appears roughly evenly split between ongoing dust-obscured star formation and very young giant molecular cloud cores that are just beginning to form stars. The build-up of central mass seems to have continued over the past ≥ 10 Myrs, to have occurred in an extended (albeit small) volume around the nucleus, and to be closely related to the presence of an inner bar.

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From global to local scales in galaxies

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921320001568 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (S359) ◽

pp. 391-395

Author(s):

Sebastian F. Sánchez ◽

Carlos Lopez Cobá

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Bimodal Distribution ◽

Spectroscopic Properties ◽

Molecular Gas ◽

Ionized Gas ◽

Galaxy Surveys ◽

Quenching Process ◽

Formation Efficiency ◽

Integral Field

AbstractWe summarize here some of the results reviewed recently by Sanchez (2020) comprising the advances in the comprehension of galaxies in the nearby universe based on integral field spectroscopic galaxy surveys. In particular we explore the bimodal distribution of galaxies in terms of the properties of their ionized gas, showing the connection between the star-formation (quenching) process with the presence (absence) of molecular gas and the star-formation efficiency. We show two galaxy examples that illustrates the well known fact that ionization in galaxies (and the processes that produce it), does not happen monolitically at galactic scales. This highlight the importance to explore the spectroscopic properties of galaxies and the evolutionary processes unveiled by them at different spatial scales, from sub-kpc to galaxy wide.

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

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921320002008 ◽

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.

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Quenching by gas compression and consumption

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201834542 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 624 ◽

pp. A81 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Allison W. S. Man ◽

Matthew D. Lehnert ◽

Joël D. R. Vernet ◽

Carlos De Breuck ◽

Theresa Falkendal

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Formation Rate ◽

Relative Strength ◽

Star Formation History ◽

Molecular Gas ◽

Host Galaxies ◽

Massive Galaxies ◽

Star Forming ◽

Gas Compression ◽

Formation History

The objective of this work is to study how active galactic nuclei (AGN) influence star formation in host galaxies. We present a detailed investigation of the star-formation history and conditions of a z = 2.57 massive radio galaxy based on VLT/X-shooter and ALMA observations. The deep rest-frame ultraviolet spectrum contains photospheric absorption lines and wind features indicating the presence of OB-type stars. The most significantly detected photospheric features are used to characterize the recent star formation: neither instantaneous nor continuous star-formation history is consistent with the relative strength of the Si IIλ1485 and S Vλ1502 absorption. Rather, at least two bursts of star formation took place in the recent past, at 6+1-2 Myr and ≳20 Myr ago, respectively. We deduce a molecular H2 gas mass of (3.9 ± 1.0) × 1010 M⊙ based on ALMA observations of the [C I] 3P2−3P1 emission. The molecular gas mass is only 13% of its stellar mass. Combined with its high star-formation rate of (1020-170+190 M⊙ yr-1, this implies a high star-formation efficiency of (26 ± 8) Gyr−1 and a short depletion time of (38 ± 12) Myr. We attribute the efficient star formation to compressive gas motions in order to explain the modest velocity dispersions (⩽55 km s−1) of the photospheric lines and of the star-forming gas traced by [C I]. Because of the likely very young age of the radio source, our findings suggest that vigorous star formation consumes much of the gas and works in concert with the AGN to remove any residual molecular gas, and eventually quenching star formation in massive galaxies.

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Survival of molecular gas in a stellar feedback-driven outflow witnessed with the MUSE TIMER project and ALMA

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/stz1844 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 488 (3) ◽

pp. 3904-3928 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ryan Leaman ◽

Francesca Fragkoudi ◽

Miguel Querejeta ◽

Gigi Y C Leung ◽

Dimitri A Gadotti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Star Formation ◽

Mechanical Energy ◽

Molecular Gas ◽

Ionized Gas ◽

Star Forming ◽

Stellar Feedback ◽

Dominant Component ◽

The Galaxy ◽

Field Lines

ABSTRACT Stellar feedback plays a significant role in modulating star formation, redistributing metals, and shaping the baryonic and dark structure of galaxies – however, the efficiency of its energy deposition to the interstellar medium is challenging to constrain observationally. Here we leverage HST and ALMA imaging of a molecular gas and dust shell ($M_{\mathrm{ H}_2} \sim 2\times 10^{5}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) in an outflow from the nuclear star-forming ring of the galaxy NGC 3351, to serve as a boundary condition for a dynamical and energetic analysis of the outflowing ionized gas seen in our MUSE TIMER survey. We use starburst99 models and prescriptions for feedback from simulations to demonstrate that the observed star formation energetics can reproduce the ionized and molecular gas dynamics – provided a dominant component of the momentum injection comes from direct photon pressure from young stars, on top of supernovae, photoionization heating, and stellar winds. The mechanical energy budget from these sources is comparable to low luminosity active galactic neuclei, suggesting that stellar feedback can be a relevant driver of bulk gas motions in galaxy centres – although here ≲10−3 of the ionized gas mass is escaping the galaxy. We test several scenarios for the survival/formation of the cold gas in the outflow, including in situ condensation and cooling. Interestingly, the geometry of the molecular gas shell, observed magnetic field strengths and emission line diagnostics are consistent with a scenario where magnetic field lines aided survival of the dusty ISM as it was initially launched (with mass-loading factor ≲1) from the ring by stellar feedback. This system’s unique feedback-driven morphology can hopefully serve as a useful litmus test for feedback prescriptions in magnetohydrodynamical galaxy simulations.

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Molecules as tracers of galaxy evolution

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921313001105 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 8 (S292) ◽

pp. 199-208 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

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.

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The global star formation law: from dense cores to extreme starbursts

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921307001688 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 2 (S237) ◽

pp. 331-335

Author(s):

Yu Gao

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Linear Correlation ◽

Molecular Clouds ◽

High Redshift ◽

Gas Content ◽

Molecular Gas ◽

Giant Molecular Clouds ◽

Active Star ◽

Dense Cores ◽

The Galaxy

AbstractActive star formation (SF) is tightly related to the dense molecular gas in the giant molecular clouds' dense cores. Our HCN (measure of the dense molecular gas) survey in 65 galaxies (including 10 ultraluminous galaxies) reveals a tight linear correlation between HCN and IR (SF rate) luminosities, whereas the correlation between IR and CO (measure of the total molecular gas) luminosities is nonlinear. This suggests that the global SF rate depends more intimately upon the amount of dense molecular gas than the total molecular gas content. This linear relationship extends to both the dense cores in the Galaxy and the hyperluminous extreme starbursts at high-redshift. Therefore, the global SF law in dense gas appears to be linear all the way from dense cores to extreme starbursts, spanning over nine orders of magnitude in IR luminosity.

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Major impact from a minor merger

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201732436 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 615 ◽

pp. A122 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

S. König ◽

S. Aalto ◽

S. Muller ◽

J. S. Gallagher III ◽

R. J. Beswick ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Brightness Temperature ◽

Central Region ◽

Molecular Clouds ◽

Molecular Gas ◽

Transfer Model ◽

Dense Gas ◽

Giant Molecular Clouds ◽

Minor Mergers ◽

Co Emission

Context. Minor mergers are important processes contributing significantly to how galaxies evolve across the age of the Universe. Their impact on the growth of supermassive black holes and star formation is profound – about half of the star formation activity in the local Universe is the result of minor mergers. Aims. The detailed study of dense molecular gas in galaxies provides an important test of the validity of the relation between star formation rate and HCN luminosity on different galactic scales – from whole galaxies to giant molecular clouds in their molecular gas-rich centers. Methods. We use observations of HCN and HCO+ 1−0 with NOEMA and of CO3−2 with the SMA to study the properties of the dense molecular gas in the Medusa merger (NGC 4194) at 1′′ resolution. In particular, we compare the distribution of these dense gas tracers with CO2−1 high-resolution maps in the Medusa merger. To characterize gas properties, we calculate the brightness temperature ratios between the three tracers and use them in conjunction with a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) radiative line transfer model. Results. The gas represented by HCN and HCO+ 1−0, and CO3−2 does not occupy the same structures as the less dense gas associated with the lower-J CO emission. Interestingly, the only emission from dense gas is detected in a 200 pc region within the “Eye of the Medusa”, an asymmetric 500 pc off-nuclear concentration of molecular gas. Surprisingly, no HCN or HCO+ is detected for the extended starburst of the Medusa merger. Additionally, there are only small amounts of HCN or HCO+ associated with the active galactic nucleus. The CO3−2/2−1 brightness temperature ratio inside “the Eye” is ~2.5 – the highest ratio found so far – implying optically thin CO emission. The CO2−1/HCN 1−0 (~9.8) and CO2−1/HCO+ 1−0 (~7.9) ratios show that the dense gas filling factor must be relatively high in the central region, consistent with the elevated CO3−1/2−1 ratio. Conclusions. The line ratios reveal an extreme, fragmented molecular cloud population inside the Eye with large bulk temperatures (T > 300 K) and high gas densities (n(H2) > 104 cm-3). This is very different from the cool, self-gravitating structures of giant molecular clouds normally found in the disks of galaxies. The Eye of the Medusa is found at an interface between a large-scale minor axis inflow and the central region of the Medusa. Hence, the extreme conditions inside the Eye may be the result of the radiative and mechanical feedback from a deeply embedded, young and massive super star cluster formed due to the gas pile-up at the intersection. Alternatively, shocks from the inflowing gas entering the central region of the Medusa may be strong enough to shock and fragment the gas. For both scenarios, however, it appears that the HCN and HCO+ dense gas tracers are not probing star formation, but instead a post-starburst and/or shocked ISM that is too hot and fragmented to form newstars. Thus, caution is advised in taking the detection of emission from dense gas tracers as evidence of ongoing or imminent star formation.

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Molecular gas in the Herschel-selected strongly lensed submillimeter galaxies at z ~ 2–4 as probed by multi-J CO lines

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201731391 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 608 ◽

pp. A144 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

C. Yang ◽

A. Omont ◽

A. Beelen ◽

Y. Gao ◽

P. van der Werf ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

High Redshift ◽

Line Emission ◽

Far Infrared ◽

Molecular Gas ◽

Kinetic Temperature ◽

Large Area ◽

Line Energy ◽

Submillimeter Galaxies ◽

Dust Mass

We present the IRAM-30 m observations of multiple-J CO (Jup mostly from 3 up to 8) and [C I](3P2 → 3P1) ([C I](2–1) hereafter) line emission in a sample of redshift ~2–4 submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). These SMGs are selected among the brightest-lensed galaxies discovered in the Herschel-Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS). Forty-seven CO lines and 7 [C I](2–1) lines have been detected in 15 lensed SMGs. A non-negligible effect of differential lensing is found for the CO emission lines, which could have caused significant underestimations of the linewidths, and hence of the dynamical masses. The CO spectral line energy distributions (SLEDs), peaking around Jup ~ 5–7, are found to be similar to those of the local starburst-dominated ultra-luminous infrared galaxies and of the previously studied SMGs. After correcting for lensing amplification, we derived the global properties of the bulk of molecular gas in the SMGs using non-LTE radiative transfer modelling, such as the molecular gas density nH2 ~ 102.5–104.1 cm-3 and the kinetic temperature Tk ~ 20–750 K. The gas thermal pressure Pth ranging from~105 K cm-3 to 106 K cm-3 is found to be correlated with star formation efficiency. Further decomposing the CO SLEDs into two excitation components, we find a low-excitation component with nH2 ~ 102.8–104.6 cm-3 and Tk ~ 20–30 K, which is less correlated with star formation, and a high-excitation one (nH2 ~ 102.7–104.2 cm-3, Tk ~ 60–400 K) which is tightly related to the on-going star-forming activity. Additionally, tight linear correlations between the far-infrared and CO line luminosities have been confirmed for the Jup ≥ 5 CO lines of these SMGs, implying that these CO lines are good tracers of star formation. The [C I](2–1) lines follow the tight linear correlation between the luminosities of the [C I](2–1) and the CO(1–0) line found in local starbursts, indicating that [C I] lines could serve as good total molecular gas mass tracers for high-redshift SMGs as well. The total mass of the molecular gas reservoir, (1–30) × 1010M⊙, derived based on the CO(3–2) fluxes and αCO(1–0) = 0.8 M⊙ ( K km s-1 pc2)-1, suggests a typical molecular gas depletion time tdep ~ 20–100 Myr and a gas to dust mass ratio δGDR ~ 30–100 with ~20%–60% uncertainty for the SMGs. The ratio between CO line luminosity and the dust mass L′CO/Mdust appears to be slowly increasing with redshift for high-redshift SMGs, which need to be further confirmed by a more complete SMG sample at various redshifts. Finally, through comparing the linewidth of CO and H2O lines, we find that they agree well in almost all our SMGs, confirming that the emitting regions of the CO and H2O lines are co-spatially located.

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