- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/834/57
- Title:
- Milky Way molecular clouds from ^12^CO
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/834/57
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- This study presents a catalog of 8107 molecular clouds that covers the entire Galactic plane and includes 98% of the ^12^CO emission observed within b+/-5^{deg}^. The catalog was produced using a hierarchical cluster identification method applied to the result of a Gaussian decomposition of the Dame+ (2001ApJ...547..792D) data. The total H_2_ mass in the catalog is 1.2x10^9^M_{sun}_, in agreement with previous estimates. We find that 30% of the sight lines intersect only a single cloud, with another 25% intersecting only two clouds. The most probable cloud size is R~30pc. We find that M{propto}R^2.2+/-0.2^, with no correlation between the cloud surface density, {Sigma}, and R. In contrast with the general idea, we find a rather large range of values of {Sigma}, from 2 to 300M_{sun}_/pc^2^, and a systematic decrease with increasing Galactic radius, R_gal_. The cloud velocity dispersion and the normalization {sigma}_0_={sigma}_v_/R^1/2^ both decrease systematically with R_gal_. When studied over the whole Galactic disk, there is a large dispersion in the line width-size relation and a significantly better correlation between {sigma}_v_ and {Sigma}R. The normalization of this correlation is constant to better than a factor of two for R_gal_<20kpc. This relation is used to disentangle the ambiguity between near and far kinematic distances. We report a strong variation of the turbulent energy injection rate. In the outer Galaxy it may be maintained by accretion through the disk and/or onto the clouds, but neither source can drive the 100 times higher cloud-averaged injection rate in the inner Galaxy.
Number of results to display per page
Search Results
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/846/71
- Title:
- M51 ISM structures from the CO maps of PAWS
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/846/71
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We compare the structure of molecular gas at 40pc resolution to the ability of gas to form stars across the disk of the spiral galaxy M51. We break the PdBI Arcsecond Whirlpool Survey (PAWS; Schinnerer+ 2013ApJ...779...42S) into 370pc and 1.1kpc resolution elements, and within each we estimate the molecular gas depletion time ({tau}_Dep_^mol^), the star-formation efficiency per free-fall time ({epsilon}_ff_), and the mass-weighted cloud-scale (40pc) properties of the molecular gas: surface density, {Sigma}, line width, {sigma}, and b={Sigma}/{sigma}^2^{propto}{alpha}_vir_^-1^, a parameter that traces the boundedness of the gas. We show that the cloud-scale surface density appears to be a reasonable proxy for mean volume density. Applying this, we find a typical star-formation efficiency per free-fall time, {epsilon}_ff_(<{Sigma}_40pc_>)~0.3%-0.36%, lower than adopted in many models and found for local clouds. Furthermore, the efficiency per free-fall time anti-correlates with both {Sigma} and {sigma}, in some tension with turbulent star-formation models. The best predictor of the rate of star formation per unit gas mass in our analysis is b={Sigma}/{sigma}^2^, tracing the strength of self-gravity, with {tau}_Dep_^mol^{propto}b^-0.9^. The sense of the correlation is that gas with stronger self-gravity (higher b) forms stars at a higher rate (low {tau}_Dep_^mol^). The different regions of the galaxy mostly overlap in {tau}_Dep_^mol^ as a function of b, so that low b explains the surprisingly high {tau}_Dep_^mol^ found toward the inner spiral arms found by Meidt et al. (2013ApJ...779...45M).
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/568/A56
- Title:
- mm continuum and line images of G0.253+0.016
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/568/A56
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The massive infrared dark cloud G0.253+0.016 projected ~45pc from the Galactic centre contains ~10^5^M_{sun}_ of dense gas whilst being mostly devoid of observed star-formation tracers. Our goals are therefore to scrutinise the physical properties, dynamics and structure of this cloud with reference to its star-forming potential. We have carried out a concerted SMA and IRAM 30m study of this enigmatic cloud in dust continuum, CO isotopologues, several shock tracing molecules, as well as H_2_CO to trace the gas temperature. In addition, we include ancillary far-IR and sub-mm Herschel and SCUBA data in our analysis. We detect and characterise a total of 36 dust cores within G0.253+0.016 at 1.3mm and 1.37mm, with masses between 25 and approximately 250M_{sun}_, and find that the kinetic temperature of the gas traced by H_2_CO ratios is >320K on size-scales of ~0.15pc. Analysis of the position-velocity diagrams of our observed lines show broad linewidths and strong shock emission in the south of the cloud, indicating that G0.253+0.016 is colliding with another cloud at v_LSR_~70km/s. We confirm via an analysis of the observed dynamics in the Central Molecular Zone that it is an elongated structure, orientated with Sgr B2 closer to the Sun than Sgr A*, however our results suggest that the actual geometry may be more complex than an elliptical ring. We find that the column density Probability Distribution Function (PDF) of G0.253+0.016 derived from SMA and SCUBA dust continuum emission is log-normal with no discernible power-law tail, consistent with little star formation, and that its width can be explained in the framework of theory predicting the density structure of clouds created by supersonic, magnetised turbulence. We also present the Delta-variance spectrum of this region, a proxy for the density power spectrum of the cloud, and show it is consistent with that expected for clouds with no current star formation. Finally, we show that even after determining a scaled column density threshold for star formation by incorporating the effects of the increased turbulence in the cloud, we would still expect ten stars with masses >15M_{sun}_ to form in G0.253+0.016. If these cannot be accounted for by new radio continuum observations, then further physical aspects may be important, such as the background column density level, which would turn an absolute column density threshold for star formation into a critical over-density. We conclude that G0.253+0.016 contains high-temperatures and wide-spread shocks, displaying evidence of interaction with a nearby cloud which we identify at v_LSR_~70km/s. Our analysis of the structure of the cloud can be well-explained by theory of magnetised turbulence, and is consistent with little or no current star formation. Using G0.253+0.016 as a test-bed of the conditions required for star formation in a different physical environment to that of nearby clouds, we also conclude that there is not one column density threshold for star formation, but instead this value is dependant on the local physical conditions.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/601/A146
- Title:
- M33 molecular clouds and young stellar clusters
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/601/A146
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We study the association between giant molecular clouds (GMCs) and young stellar cluster candidates (YSCCs) to shed light on the time evolution of local star formation episodes in the nearby galaxy M33. The CO (J=2-1) IRAM all-disk survey was used to identify and classify 566 GMCs with masses between 2x10^4^ and 2x10^6^M_{sun}_ across the whole star-forming disk of M33. In the same area, there are 630 YSCCs that we identified using Spitzer-24um data. Some YSCCs are embedded star-forming sites, while the majority have GALEX-UV and H{alpha} counterparts with estimated cluster masses and ages. The GMC classes correspond to different cloud evolutionary stages: inactive clouds are 32% of the total and classified clouds with embedded and exposed star formation are 16% and 52% of the total, respectively. Across the regular southern spiral arm, inactive clouds are preferentially located in the inner part of the arm, possibly suggesting a triggering of star formation as the cloud crosses the arm. The spatial correlation between YSCCs and GMCs is extremely strong, with a typical separation of 17pc. This is less than half the CO (2-1) beam size and illustrates the remarkable physical link between the two populations. GMCs and YSCCs follow the HI filaments, except in the outermost regions, where the survey finds fewer GMCs than YSCCs, which is most likely due to undetected clouds with low CO luminosity. The distribution of the non-embedded YSCC ages peaks around 5Myr, with only a few being as old as 8-10Myr. These age estimates together with the number of GMCs in the various evolutionary stages lead us to conclude that 14Myr is the typical lifetime of a GMC in M33 prior to cloud dispersal. The inactive and embedded phases are short, lasting about 4 and 2Myr, respectively. This underlines that embedded YSCCs rapidly break out from the clouds and become partially visible in H{alpha} or UV long before cloud dispersal.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/182/131
- Title:
- Molecular clouds and clumps in the GRS
- Short Name:
- J/ApJS/182/131
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The Boston University-Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (BU-FCRAO) Galactic Ring Survey (GRS) of ^13^CO J=1->0 emission covers Galactic longitudes 18<l<55.7{deg} and Galactic latitudes |b|<=1{deg}. Using the SEQUOIA array on the FCRAO 14m telescope, the GRS fully sampled the ^13^CO Galactic emission (46" angular resolution on a 22" grid) and achieved a spectral resolution of 0.21km/s. Because the GRS uses ^13^CO, an optically thin tracer, rather than ^12^CO, an optically thick tracer, the GRS allows a much better determination of column density and also a cleaner separation of velocity components along a line of sight. With this homogeneous, fully sampled survey of ^13^CO emission, we have identified 829 molecular clouds and 6124 clumps throughout the inner Galaxy using the CLUMPFIND algorithm. Here we present details of the catalog and a preliminary analysis of the properties of the molecular clouds and their clumps. Moreover, we compare clouds inside and outside of the 5kpc ring and find that clouds within the ring typically have warmer temperatures, higher column densities, larger areas, and more clumps compared with clouds located outside the ring. This is expected if these clouds are actively forming stars. This catalog provides a useful tool for the study of molecular clouds and their embedded young stellar objects.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/588/A104
- Title:
- Molecular clouds and star formation
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/588/A104
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- As a part of the Milky Way Imaging Scroll Painting (MWISP) survey, the aim is to study the physical properties of molecular clouds and their associated star formation toward the Galactic plane within 216.25{deg}<=l<=218.75{deg} and -0.75{deg}<=b<=1.25{deg}, which covers the molecular cloud complex S287. Using the 3x3 Superconducting Spectroscopic Array Receiver (SSAR) at the PMO-13.7m telescope, we performed a simultaneous ^12^CO (1-0), ^13^CO (1-0), C^18^O (1-0) mapping toward molecular clouds in a region encompassing 3.75 square degrees. The beam size is 52" for ^12^CO (1-0) and 55" for ^13^CO (1-0) and C^18^O (1-0).
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/141/123
- Title:
- Molecular clouds associated with HII regions
- Short Name:
- J/AJ/141/123
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The properties of molecular clouds associated with 10 HII regions were studied using CO observations. We identified 142 dense clumps within our sample and found that our sources are divided into two categories: those with clumps that show a power-law size-line-width relation (Type I) and those that do not show any relation (Type II). The clumps in the Type I sources have larger power-law indices than found in previous studies. The clumps in the Type II sources have larger line widths than do the clumps in the Type I sources.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/835/278
- Title:
- Molecular clouds in the dwarf galaxy NGC6822
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/835/278
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array survey of CO(2-1) emission from the 1/5 solar metallicity, Local Group dwarf galaxy NGC 6822. We achieve high (0.9"~2pc) spatial resolution while covering a large area: four 250pcx250pc regions that encompass ~2/3 of NGC 6822's star formation. In these regions, we resolve ~150 compact CO clumps that have small radii (~2-3pc), narrow line width (~1km/s), and low filling factor across the galaxy. This is consistent with other recent studies of low-metallicity galaxies, but here shown with a 15x larger sample. At parsec scales, CO emission correlates with 8{mu}m emission better than with 24{mu}m emission and anticorrelates with H{alpha}, so that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission may be an effective tracer of molecular gas at low metallicity. The properties of the CO clumps resemble those of similar-size structures in Galactic clouds except of slightly lower surface brightness and with CO-to-H_2_ ratio ~1-2x the Galactic value. The clumps exist inside larger atomic-molecular complexes with masses typical for giant molecular clouds. Using dust to trace H_2_ for the entire complex, we find the CO-to-H_2_ ratio to be ~20-25x the Galactic value, but with strong dependence on spatial scale and variations between complexes that may track their evolutionary state. The H_2_-to-HI ratio is low globally and only mildly above unity within the complexes. The ratio of star formation rate to H_2_ is ~3-5x higher in the complexes than in massive disk galaxies, but after accounting for the bias from targeting star-forming regions, we conclude that the global molecular gas depletion time may be as long as in massive disk galaxies.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/839/113
- Title:
- Molecular clouds with GLIMPSE/MIPSGAL data
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/839/113
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We study the star-formation (SF) law in 12 Galactic molecular clouds with ongoing high-mass star-formation (HMSF) activity, as traced by the presence of a bright IRAS source and other HMSF tracers. We define the molecular cloud (MC) associated with each IRAS source using ^13^CO line emission, and count the young stellar objects (YSOs) within these clouds using GLIMPSE and MIPSGAL 24{mu}m Spitzer databases. The masses for high-luminosity YSOs (L_bol_>10L_{sun}_) are determined individually using pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks and the evolutionary stages of the sources, whereas a mean mass of 0.5M_{sun}_ was adopted to determine the masses in the low-luminosity YSO population. The star-formation rate surface density ({Sigma}SFR) corresponding to a gas surface density ({Sigma}gas) in each MC is obtained by counting the number of the YSOs within successive contours of ^13^CO line emission. We find a break in the relation between {Sigma}SFR and {Sigma}gas, with the relation being a power law ({Sigma}SFR{propto}{Sigma}gas^N^) with the index N varying between 1.4 and 3.6 above the break. The {Sigma}gas at the break is between 150-360M_{sun}_/pc^2^ for the sample clouds, which compares well with the threshold gas density found in recent studies of Galactic star-forming regions. Our clouds treated as a whole lie between the Kennicutt relation and the linear relation for Galactic and extra-galactic dense star-forming regions. We find a tendency for the high- mass YSOs to be found preferentially in dense regions at densities higher than 1200M_{sun}_/pc^2^ (~0.25g/cm^2^).
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/570/A109
- Title:
- Molecular gas associated with IRAS 10361-5830
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/570/A109
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We analyze the distribution of the molecular gas and dust in the molecular clump linked to IRAS 10361-5830, located in the environs of the bubble-shaped HII region Gum 31 in the Carina region, with the aim of determining the main parameters of the associated material and of investigating the evolutionary state of the young stellar objects identified there.
