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Register a new user13CO 1-0 imaging of the Medusa merger, NGC4194
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Studying molecular gas properties in merging galaxies gives important clues to the onset and evolution of interaction-triggered starbursts. The CO/13CO 1-0 line intensity ratio can be used as a tracer of how dynamics and star formation processes impact the gas properties. The Medusa (NGC~4194) merger is particularly interesting to study since its LFIR/LCO ratio rivals that of ultraluminous galaxies (ULIRGs), despite the comparatively modest luminosity, indicating an exceptionally high star formation efficiency (SFE) in the Medusa merger. Interferometric OVRO observations of CO and 13CO 1-0 in the Medusa show the CO/13CO intensity ratio increases from normal, quiescent values (7-10) in the outer parts (r>2 kpc) of the galaxy to high (16 to >40) values in the central (r<1 kpc) starburst region. In the centre there is an east-west gradient where the line ratio changes by more than a factor of three over 5 (945 pc). The integrated 13CO emission peaks in the north-western starburst region while the central CO emission is strongly associated with the prominent crossing dust-lane. We discuss the central east-west gradient in the context of gas properties in the starburst and the central dust lane. We suggest that the central gradient is mainly caused by diffuse gas in the dust lane. In this scenario, the actual molecular mass distribution is better traced by the 13CO 1-0 emission than the CO. The possibilities of temperature and abundance gradients are also discussed. We compare the central gas properties of the Medusa to those of other minor mergers and suggest that the extreme and transient phase of the Medusa star formation activity has similar traits to those of high-redshift galaxies.
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The Medusa (NGC 4194) is a well-studied nearby galaxy with the disturbed appearance of a merger and evidence for ongoing star formation. In order to test whether it could be the result of an interaction between a gas-rich disk-like galaxy and a larger elliptical, we have carried out optical and radio observations of the stars and the gas in the Medusa, and performed $N$-body numerical simulations of the evolution of such a system. We used the Nordic Optical Telescope to obtain a deep V-band image and the Westerbork Radio Synthesis Telescope to map the large-scale distribution and kinematics of atomic hydrogen. A single HI tail was found to the South of the Medusa with a projected length of 56 kpc (5) and a gas mass of 7* 10^8 M_sun, thus harbouring about one third of the total HI mass of the system. HI was also detected in absorption toward the continuum in the center. HI was detected in a small nearby galaxy to the North-West of the Medusa at a projected distance of 91 kpc. It is, however, unlikely that this galaxy has had a significant influence on the evolution of the Medusa. The simulations of the slightly prograde infall of a gas-rich disk galaxy on an larger, four time more massive elliptical (spherical) galaxy reproduce most of the observed features of the Medusa.Thus, the Medusa is an ideal object to study the merger-induced star formation contribution from the small galaxy of a minor merger.
We have detected CO 1-0 emission along the tidal tail of the NGC 4194 (the Medusa) merger. It is the first CO detection in the optical tail of a minor merger. Emission is detected both in the centre of the tail and at its tip. The molecular mass in the 33 Onsala 20m beam is estimated to be >= 8.5 x 10^7 M_{sun} which is at least 4% of the total molecular mass measured so far in this system. We suggest that the emission is a molecular tidal tail which is part of the extended structure of the main body, and that the molecular gas was thrown out by the collision instead of having formed in situ from condensing atomic material. We find it unlikely that the emission is associated with a tidal dwarf galaxy (even if the future formation of such an object is possible), but high resolution HI, CO and optical observations are necessary to resolve the issue. The Medusa is very likely the result of an elliptical+spiral collison and our detection supports the notion that molecular gas in minor mergers can be found at great distances from the merger centre.
We present a catalogue of 12CO(J=1-0) and 13CO(J=1-0) molecular clouds in the spatio-velocity range of the Carina Flare supershell, GSH 287+04-17. The data cover a region of ~66 square degrees and were taken with the NANTEN 4m telescope, at spatial and velocity resolutions of 2.6 and 0.1 km/s. Decomposition of the emission results in the identification of 156 12CO clouds and 60 13CO clouds, for which we provide observational and physical parameters. Previous work suggests the majority of the detected mass forms part of a comoving molecular cloud complex that is physically associated with the expanding shell. The cloud internal velocity dispersions, degree of virialization and size-linewidth relations are found to be consistent with those of other Galactic samples. However, the vertical distribution is heavily skewed towards high-altitudes. The robust association of high-z molecular clouds with a known supershell provides some observational backing for the theory that expanding shells contribute to the support of a high-altitude molecular layer.
We present 13CO(1-0) and 12CO(2-1) aperture synthesis maps of the barred spiral galaxy NGC1530. The angular resolutions are respectively 3.1 and 1.6. Both transitions show features similar to the 12CO(1-0) map, with a nuclear feature (a ring or unresolved spiral arms) surrounded by two curved arcs. The average line ratios are 12CO(1-0)/13CO(1-0)=9.3 and 12CO(2-1)/12CO(1-0)=0.7. The 12CO/13CO ratio is lower in the circumnuclear ring (6-8) than in the arcs (11-15). We fit the observed line ratios by escape probability models, and deduce that the gas density is probably higher in the nuclear feature (>= 5 10^2 cm^{-3}) than in the arcs (~2 10^2 cm^{-3}), confirming earlier HCN results. The kinetic temperatures are in the range 20-90K, but are weakly constrained by the model. The average filling factor of the 12CO(1-0) emitting gas is low, ~0.15. The cm-radio continuum emission also peaks in the nuclear feature, indicating a higher rate of star formation than in the arcs. We derive values for the CO luminosity to molecular gas mass conversion factor between 0.3 and 2.3 Msolar (K km/s pc^2)^{-1}, significantly lower than the standard Galactic value.
We report the results of a pilot study with the EVLA of 12CO J=1-0 emission from four SMGs at z=2.2-2.5, each with an existing detection of CO J=3-2. Using the EVLAs most compact configuration we detect strong, broad J=1-0 line emission from all of our targets. The median line width ratio, sigma(1-0)/sigma(3-2) = 1.15 +/- 0.06, suggests that the J=1-0 is more spatially extended than the J=3-2 emission, a situation confirmed by our maps which reveal velocity structure in several cases and typical sizes of ~16 kpc FWHM. The median Tb ratio is r(3-2/1-0) = 0.55 +/- 0.05, noting that our value may be biased high because of the J=3-2-based sample selection. Naively, this suggests gas masses ~2x higher than estimates made using higher-J transitions of CO, with the discrepency due to the difference in assumed Tb ratio. We also estimate masses using the 12CO J=1-0 line and the observed global Tb ratios, assuming standard underlying Tb ratios as well as a limiting SFE, i.e. without calling upon X(CO). Using this new method, we find a median molecular gas mass of (2.5 +/- 0.8) x 10^10 Msun, with a plausible range stretching 3x higher. Even larger masses cannot be ruled out, but are not favoured by dynamical constraints: the median dynamical mass for our sample is (2.3 +/- 1.4) x 10^11 Msun. We examine the Schmidt-Kennicutt relation for all the distant galaxy populations for which CO J=1-0 or J=2-1 data are available, finding small systematic differences. These have previously been interpreted as evidence for different modes of star formation, but we argue that these differences are to be expected, given the still considerable uncertainties. Finally, we discuss the morass of degeneracies surrounding molecular gas mass estimates, the possibilities for breaking them, and the future prospects for imaging and studying cold, quiescent molecular gas at high redshifts [abridged].
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