No Arabic abstract
The rate of star formation both in the Galaxy and in external galaxies should be related to the physical properties of the molecular clouds from which stars form. This is expected for the starbursts found both in irregular galaxies and in some mergers. The dwarf galaxy Henize 2-10 is particularly interesting in this context as it shows a number of newly formed Super Star Clusters (SSCs) associated with a very rich molecular environment. We present a high angular resolution study of the molecular gas associated with the SSCs with the aim of deriving the physical properties of the parent molecular clouds. The final goal is to test the expectation that the formation of SSCs requires exceptionally dense and massive clouds. We have used the Submillimeter Array with an angular resolution of 1.9 X 1.3 to map the J=2-1 transition of CO in Henize 2-10. Supplementary measurements of HCN(J=1-0), 13CO(J=2-1) and millimeter continuum were obtained with the APEX, IRAM-30m and SEST single dish telescopes. Our single dish observations confirm the association of the newly formed SSCs in Henize 2-10 with dense molecular gas. Our interferometric observations resolve the CO(2-1) emission in several giant molecular clouds. Overall the molecular gas accounts for approximately half of the mass in the central regions of Henize 2-10. Although we find indications that the molecular clouds associated with the formation of SSCs in Henize 2-10 are massive and dense, the tracer we used (CO) and the linear resolution of our observations (60 X 80 pc) are still not adequate to test the expectation that exceptionally dense and massive cores are required for SSCs formation.
We present ALMA observations of the dwarf starburst galaxy Henize 2-10 in combination with previous SMA CO observations to probe the molecular environments of natal super star clusters. These observations include the HCO$^+$(1-0), HCN(1-0), HNC(1-0), and CCH(1-0) molecular lines, as well as 88 GHz continuum with a spatial resolution of $1.7times 1.6$. After correcting for the contribution from free-free emission to the 88 GHz continuum flux density ($sim$ 60% of the 88 GHz emission), we derive a total gas mass for He~2-10 of $M_{gas} = 4-6times10^8$ M$_{odot}$, roughly 5-20% of the dynamical mass. Based on a principle component analysis, HCO$^+$ is found to be the best general tracer of molecular emission. The line widths and luminosities of the CO emission suggests that the molecular clouds could either be as small as $sim 8$ pc, or alternately have enhanced line widths. The CO emission and 88 GHz continuum are anti-correlated, suggesting that either the dust and molecular gas are not cospatial, which could reflect the 88 GHz continuum is dominated by free-free emission. The CO and CCH emission are also relatively anti-correlated, which is consistent with the CCH being photo-enhanced, and/or the CO being dissociated in the regions near the natal super star clusters. The molecular line ratios of regions containing the natal star clusters are different from the line ratios observed for regions elsewhere in the galaxy. In particular, the regions with thermal radio emission all have CO(2-1)/HCO$^+(1-0) < 16$, and the HCO$^+$/CO ratio appears to be correlated with the evolutionary stage of the clusters.
We present ALMA CO(3-2) observations at 0.3 arcsec resolution of He2-10, a starburst dwarf galaxy and possible high-z galaxy analogue. The warm dense gas traced by CO(3--2) is found in clumpy filaments that are kinematically and spatially distinct. The filaments have no preferred orientation or direction; this may indicate that the galaxy is not evolving into a disk galaxy. Filaments appear to be feeding the active starburst; the velocity field in one filament suggests acceleration onto an embedded star cluster. The relative strengths of CO(3-2) and radio continuum vary strongly on decaparsec scales in the starburst. There is no CO(3--2) clump coincident with the non-thermal radio source that has been suggested to be an AGN, nor unusual kinematics. The kinematics of the molecular gas show significant activity apparently unrelated to the current starburst. The longest filament, east of the starburst, has a pronounced shear of FWHM $sim40$~kms across its $sim$50~pc width over its entire $approx 0.5$ kpc length. The cause of the shear is not clear. This filament is close in projection to a `dynamically distinct CO feature previously seen in CO(1--0). The most complex region and the most highly disturbed gas velocities are in a region 200~pc south of the starburst. The CO(3--2) emission there reveals a molecular outflow, of linewidth FWZI $sim$ 120-140 kms, requiring an energy $gtrsim 10^{53} rm~ erg/s$. There is at present {it no} candidate for the driving source of this outflow.
We have detected the H92alpha radio recombination line from two dwarf starburst galaxies, NGC 5253 and He 2-10, using the Very Large Array. Both the line data as well as the radio continuum data are used to model the properties of the ionized gas in the centers of these galaxies. We consider a multi-density model for radio recombination lines and show why previous models, which were based on the assumption of gas at a single density, are valid in many situations. The models show that the ionized gas has a density of ~10^4 /cc in both galaxies, with an effective size of 2-10 pc and a total mass of about 10^4 Msun. The derived production rate of Lyman continuum photons is ~2.5 x 10^{52} /s in both the galaxies and the corresponding mass of stars (assuming a Salpeter IMF) is ~10^5 msun. The implied stellar density shows that the observed radio recombination lines arise from ionized gas around super star clusters (SSCs) in both galaxies (these SSCs have been recently detected through their radio continuum emission). The existence of ~10^4 Msun of ionized gas within a few parsecs of an SSC places strict constraints on dynamical models. Using simple arguments, the parameter space for a few possible models are derived. The well known radio-FIR correlation also holds for NGC 5253, although the radio emission from this galaxy is almost completely thermal. It is shown that NGC 5253 is strong evidence that the component of FIR emission from warm dust is correlated separately with the component of radio emission from thermal bremsstrahlung.
We present submillimeter spectra of the (proto-)super star cluster (SSC) candidates in the starbursting center of the nearby galaxy NGC 253 identified by Leroy et al. (2018). The 2.5pc resolution of our ALMA cycle 3 observations approach the size of the SSCs and allows the study of physical and chemical properties of the molecular gas in these sources. In the 14 SSC sources and in the frequency ranges 342.0-345.8 GHz and 353.9-357.7 GHz we detect 55 lines belonging to 19 different chemical species. The SSCs differ significantly in chemical complexity, with the richest clusters showing 19 species and the least complex showing 4 species. We detect HCN isotopologues and isomers (H$^{13}$CN, HC$^{15}$N, H$^{15}$NC), abundant HC$_3$N, SO and S$^{18}$O, SO$_2$, and H$_2$CS. The gas ratios CO/HCN, CO/HCO$^+$ are low, ~1-10, implying high dense gas fractions in the SSCs. Line ratio analyses suggests chemistry consistent with photon-dominated regions and mechanical heating. None of the SSCs near the galaxy center show line ratios that imply an X-ray dominated region, suggesting that heating by any (still unknown) AGN does not play a major role. The gas temperatures are high in most sources, with an average rotational temperature of ~130 K in SO$_2$. The widespread existence of vibrationally excited HCN and HC$_3$N transitions implies strong IR radiation fields, potentially trapped by a greenhouse effect due to high continuum opacities.
We present an analysis of the X-ray spectrum and long-term variability of the nearby dwarf starburst galaxy Henize 2-10. Recent observations suggest that this galaxy hosts an actively accreting black hole with mass ~10^6 M_sun. The presence of an AGN in a low-mass starburst galaxy marks a new environment for active galactic nuclei (AGNs), with implications for the processes by which seed black holes may form in the early Universe. In this paper, we analyze four epochs of X-ray observations of Henize 2-10, to characterize the long-term behavior of its hard nuclear emission. We analyze observations with Chandra from 2001 and XMM-Newton from 2004 and 2011, as well as an earlier, less sensitive observation with ASCA from 1997. Based on detailed analysis of the source and background, we find that the hard (2-10 keV) flux of the putative AGN has decreased by approximately an order of magnitude between the 2001 Chandra observation and exposures with XMM-Newton in 2004 and 2011. The observed variability confirms that the emission is due to a single source. It is unlikely that the variable flux is due to a supernova or ultraluminous X-ray source, based on the observed long-term behavior of the X-ray and radio emission, while the observed X-ray variability is consistent with the behavior of well-studied AGNs.