SIMBAD references

2007PASJ...59...33T - Publ. Astron. Soc. Jap., 59, 33-42 (2007/February-0)

Giant molecular association in spiral arms of M 31: I. Evidence for dense gas formation via spiral shock associated with density waves?

TOSAKI T., SHIOYA Y., KUNO N., HASEGAWA T., NAKANISHI K., MATSUSHITA S. and KOHNO K.

Abstract (from CDS):

begin{HTML}We present observations of <sup>12</sup>CO (J = 1-0), <sup>13</sup>CO (J = 1-0), and <sup>12</sup>CO (J = 3-2) emissions toward a Giant Molecular Association (GMA) in the southern spiral arm of M 31 using the NRO 45 m and the ASTE 10 m telescopes. Observed regions are 3' x 4' (0.6 kpc x 0.8 kpc) with an angular resolution of 16''-17'' for <sup>12</sup>CO (1-0) and <sup>13</sup>CO (1-0), and 1.2' x 1.4' with 23'' for <sup>12</sup>CO (3-2). The GMA has a size of a few 100 pc and a mass of 5.6x10<sup>6</sup> M_☉. The <sup>12</sup>CO (1-0) to <sup>13</sup>CO (1-0) integrated intensity ratio (R<sub>12/13</sub>) and the <sup>12</sup>CO (3-2) to <sup>12</sup>CO (1-0) ratio (R<sub>3-2/1-0</sub>), averaged over the entire region of the GMA, are ∼ 10 and 0.3, respectively. These line ratios suggest gas densities of (3-6) x 10<sup>2</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> at a temperature of 15-25 K, which are similar to, or slightly larger than, those of GMCs in the Galactic disk. We found a radial gradient of R<sub>12/13</sub> within the GMA, ranging from 6 at the center to 14 at the edges. The distribution of R<sub>12/13</sub> shows a smooth structure with an overall density gradient. The GMA consists of two velocity components, blue (∼ -505 km s<sup>-1</sup>) and red (>=-490 km s<sup>-1</sup>). In both the <sup>12</sup>CO (1-0) and <sup>13</sup>CO (1-0) profiles, the blue component shows a strong peak intensity and a narrow velocity width, while the red is weaker and wider. The R<sub>12/13</sub> value of the red component is 5 and that of the blue is 16, indicating that the red component has a higher gas density. Moreover, we suggest that the red component is ``post-shock'' dense gas decelerated by shock due to the density wave.

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Journal keyword(s): galaxies: individual (M31) - ISM: molecules - stars: formation

Simbad objects: 7

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