scholarly journals Molecular line ratio diagnostics along the radial cut and dusty ultraviolet-bright clumps in a spiral galaxy NGC 0628

2020 ◽  
Vol 495 (3) ◽  
pp. 2682-2712
Author(s):  
Selçuk Topal

ABSTRACT Molecular emission lines are essential tools to shed light on many questions regarding star formation in galaxies. Multiple molecular lines are particularly useful to probe different phases of star-forming molecular clouds. In this study, we investigate the physical properties of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) using multiple lines of CO, i.e. CO(1–0, 2–1, 3–2) and 13CO(1–0), obtained at selected 20 positions in the disc of NGC 0628. A total of 11 positions were selected over the radial cut, including the centre, and remaining 9 positions were selected across the southern and northern arms of the galaxy. A total of 13 out of 20 positions are brighter at $24\, \mu {\rm m}$ and ultraviolet (UV) emission and hosting significantly more H ii regions compared to the rest of the positions indicating opposite characteristics. Our line ratio analysis shows that the gas gets warmer and thinner as a function of radius from the galaxy centre up to 1.7 kpc, and then the ratios start to fluctuate. Our empirical and model results suggest that the UV-bright positions have colder and thinner CO gas with higher hydrogen and CO column densities. However, the UV-dim positions have relatively warmer CO gas with lower densities bathed in GMCs surrounded by less number of H ii regions. Analysis of multiwavelength infrared and UV data indicates that the UV-bright positions have higher star formation efficiency than that of the UV-dim positions.

1987 ◽  
Vol 115 ◽  
pp. 499-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Solomon

The CO Galactic Plane Survey consists of 40,572 spectral line observations in the region between 1 = 8° to 90° and b = −1°.05 to +1°.05 spaced every 3 arc minutes, carried out with the FCRAO 14-m antenna. The velocity coverage from −100 to +200 km/s includes emission from all galactic radii. This high resolution survey was designed to observe and identify essentially all molecular clouds or cloud components larger than 10 parsecs in the inner galaxy. There are two populations of molecular clouds which separate according to temperature. The warm clouds are closely associated with H II regions, exhibit a non-axisymmetric galactic distribution and are a spiral arm population. The cold clouds are a disk population, are not confined to any patterns in longitude-velocity space and must be widespread in the galaxy both in and out of spiral arms. The correlation between far infrared luminosities from IRAS, and molecular masses from CO is utilized to determine a luminosity to mass ratio for the clouds. A face-on picture of the galaxy locating the warm population is presented, showing ring like or spiral arm features at R ∼ 5, 7.5 and 9 kpc. The cloud size and mass spectrum will be discussed and evidence presented showing the presence of clusters of giant molecular clouds with masses of 106 to 107 M⊙. The two populations of clouds probably have different star forming luminosity functions. The implication of the two populations for star formation mechanisms will be discussed.


2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S237) ◽  
pp. 331-335
Author(s):  
Yu Gao

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.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S292) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan C. Tan ◽  
Suzanne N. Shaske ◽  
Sven Van Loo

AbstractAll stars are born in molecular clouds, and most in giant molecular clouds (GMCs), which thus set the star formation activity of galaxies. We first review their observed properties, including measures of mass surface density, Σ, and thus mass,M. We discuss cloud dynamics, concluding most GMCs are gravitationally bound. Star formation is highly clustered within GMCs, but overall is very inefficient. We compare properties of star-forming clumps with those of young stellar clusters (YSCs). The high central densities of YSCs may result via dynamical evolution of already-formed stars during and after star cluster formation. We discuss theoretical models of GMC evolution, especially addressing how turbulence is maintained, and emphasizing the importance of GMC collisions. We describe how feedback limits total star formation efficiency, ε, in clumps. A turbulent and clumpy medium allows higher ε, permitting formation of bound clusters even when escape speeds are less than the ionized gas sound speed.


1991 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
pp. 443-444
Author(s):  
C. Koempe ◽  
G. Joncas ◽  
J.G.A. Wouterloot ◽  
H. Meyerdierks

By now, it is well established that massive stars form in giant molecular clouds. Numerous studies have shown that star formation, instead of being spread uniformly throughout molecular clouds, occurs in dense condensations located within these clouds. The physical conditions in these condensations are therefore critical input parameters for any theory of star formation.


Author(s):  
Hidetoshi Sano ◽  
Kisetsu Tsuge ◽  
Kazuki Tokuda ◽  
Kazuyuki Muraoka ◽  
Kengo Tachihara ◽  
...  

Abstract We report the first evidence for high-mass star formation triggered by collisions of molecular clouds in M 33. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, we spatially resolved filamentary structures of giant molecular cloud 37 in M 33 using 12CO(J = 2–1), 13CO(J = 2–1), and C18O(J = 2–1) line emission at a spatial resolution of ∼2 pc. There are two individual molecular clouds with a systematic velocity difference of ∼6 km s−1. Three continuum sources representing up to ∼10 high-mass stars with spectral types of B0V–O7.5V are embedded within the densest parts of molecular clouds bright in the C18O(J = 2–1) line emission. The two molecular clouds show a complementary spatial distribution with a spatial displacement of ∼6.2 pc, and show a V-shaped structure in the position–velocity diagram. These observational features traced by CO and its isotopes are consistent with those in high-mass star-forming regions created by cloud–cloud collisions in the Galactic and Magellanic Cloud H ii regions. Our new finding in M 33 indicates that cloud–cloud collision is a promising process for triggering high-mass star formation in the Local Group.


2002 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 140-142
Author(s):  
Jonathan Williams

AbstractMassive stars form in clusters within self-gravitating molecular clouds. The size scale of these clusters is sufficiently large that non-thermal, or turbulent, motions of the gas must be taken into account when considering their formation. Millimeter wavelength radio observations of the gas and dust in these clouds reveal a complex, self-similar structure that reflects the turbulent nature of the gas. Differences are seen, however, towards dense bound cores in proto-clusters. Examination of the kinematics of gas around such cores suggests that dissipation of turbulence may be the first step in the star formation process. Newly formed stars, on the other hand, replenish turbulence through their winds and outflows. In this way, star formation may be self-regulated. Observations and simulations are beginning to demonstrate the key role that cloud turbulence plays in the formation and evolution of stellar groups.


2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (2) ◽  
pp. 2286-2301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob L Ward ◽  
Mélanie Chevance ◽  
J M Diederik Kruijssen ◽  
Alexander P S Hygate ◽  
Andreas Schruba ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The time-scales associated with the various stages of the star formation process remain poorly constrained. This includes the earliest phases of star formation, during which molecular clouds condense out of the atomic interstellar medium. We present the first in a series of papers with the ultimate goal of compiling the first multitracer timeline of star formation, through a comprehensive set of evolutionary phases from atomic gas clouds to unembedded young stellar populations. In this paper, we present an empirical determination of the lifetime of atomic clouds using the Uncertainty Principle for Star Formation formalism, based on the de-correlation of H α and H i emission as a function of spatial scale. We find an atomic gas cloud lifetime of 48$^{+13}_{-8}$ Myr. This time-scale is consistent with the predicted average atomic cloud lifetime in the LMC (based on galactic dynamics) that is dominated by the gravitational collapse of the mid-plane ISM. We also determine the overlap time-scale for which both H i and H α emissions are present to be very short (tover < 1.7 Myr), consistent with zero, indicating that there is a near-to-complete phase change of the gas to a molecular form in an intermediary stage between H i clouds and H ii regions. We utilize the time-scales derived in this work to place empirically determined limits on the time-scale of molecular cloud formation. By performing the same analysis with and without the 30 Doradus region included, we find that the most extreme star-forming environment in the LMC has little effect on the measured average atomic gas cloud lifetime. By measuring the lifetime of the atomic gas clouds, we place strong constraints on the physics that drives the formation of molecular clouds and establish a solid foundation for the development of a multitracer timeline of star formation in the LMC.


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (S298) ◽  
pp. 221-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare L. Dobbs

AbstractStudying star formation in spiral arms tells us not only about the evolution of star formation, and molecular clouds, but can also tell us about the nature of spiral structure in galaxies. I will address both these topics using the results of recent simulations and observations. Galactic scale simulations are beginning to examine in detail the evolution of Giant Molecular Clouds (GMC) as they form in spiral arms, and then disperse by stellar feedback or shear. The overall timescale for this process appears comparable to the crossing time of the GMCs, a few Myrs for 105 M⊙ clouds, 20 Myr or so for more massive GMCs. Both simulations and observations show that the massive clouds are found in the spiral arms, likely as a result of cloud-cloud collisions. Simulations including stars should also tell us about the stellar age distribution in GMCs, and across spiral arms. More generally, recent work on spiral galaxies suggests that the dynamics of gas flows in spiral arms are different in longlived and transient spiral arms, resulting in different age patterns in the stars. Such results could be used to help establish the main driver of spiral structure in the Milky Way (Toomre instabilities, the bar, or nearby companion galaxies) in conjunction with future surveys.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S277) ◽  
pp. 67-70
Author(s):  
N. Kuno ◽  
T. Tosaki ◽  
S. Onodera ◽  
R. Miura ◽  
K. Muraoka ◽  
...  

AbstractWe have conducted all disk imaging of M33 in 12CO(1-0) using the 45-m telescope at Nobeyama Radio Observatory. We present preliminary results of this project. The spatial resolution of ~ 80 pc is comparable to the size of GMCs. The identified GMCs show wide variety in star forming activity. The variety can be regarded as the difference of their evolutionary stage. We found that Kennicutt-Schmidt law breaks in GMC scale (~ 80 pc), although it is still valid in 1 kpc scale. The correlation between molecular gas fraction, fmol = Σ(H2)/Σ(HI+H2) and gas surface density shows two distinct sequences and shows that fmol tends to be higher near the center. We also made partial mapping 12CO(3-2) with ASTE telescope. These data show that the variation of physical properties of molecular gas are correlated with the GMC evolution and mass. That is, GMCs with more active star formation and more mass tend to have higher fraction of dense gas.


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