2023ApJ...943....1Z

Query : 2023ApJ...943....1Z

2023ApJ...943....1Z - Astrophys. J., 943, 1-9 (2023/January-3)

Estimating Molecular Gas Content in Galaxies from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission.

ZHANG L. and HO L.C.

Abstract (from CDS):

Emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a commonly used indicator of star formation activity in galaxies, also has the potential to serve as an effective empirical tracer of molecular gas. We use a sample of 19 nearby galaxies with spatially resolved mid-infrared Spitzer spectroscopy, multiwavelength optical and mid-infrared imaging, and millimeter interferometric CO(1-0) maps to investigate the feasibility of using PAH emission as an empirical proxy to estimate molecular gas mass. PAH emission correlates strongly with CO emission on subkiloparsec scales over the diverse environments probed by our sample of star-forming galaxies and low-luminosity active galactic nuclei. The tight observed correlation, likely a consequence of photoelectronic heating of the diffuse interstellar gas by the PAHs, permits us to derive an empirical calibration to estimate molecular gas mass from the luminosity of PAH emission that has a total scatter of only ∼0.2-0.25 dex. Mid-infrared bands sensitive to PAH emission (e.g., the Spitzer/IRAC4 and WISE/W3 filters) can also be used as a highly effective substitute for this purpose.

Abstract Copyright: © 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Journal keyword(s): Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - Interstellar medium - Interstellar molecules - Interstellar dust - Star formation - Interstellar emissions - Molecular gas

Simbad objects: 20

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Number of rows : 20
N Identifier Otype ICRS (J2000)
RA 		ICRS (J2000)
DEC 		Mag U Mag B Mag V Mag R Mag I Sp type #ref
1850 - 2026 		#notes
1 M 74 G 01 36 41.7451236624 +15 47 01.107512304 10.52 10.00 9.46 9.16   ~ 1934 1
2 NGC 925 H2G 02 27 16.913 +33 34 43.97   10.69 10.12 9.55   ~ 818 1
3 NAME LMC G 05 23 34.6 -69 45 22     0.4     ~ 19090 0
4 NGC 2976 GiG 09 47 15.458 +67 54 58.97 11.77 11.03 10.16 9.51   ~ 712 1
5 M 81 Sy2 09 55 33.1726556496 +69 03 55.062505368   7.89 6.94     ~ 4725 3
6 NGC 3180 GiG 10 18 16.985 +41 25 27.77   10.4       ~ 777 0
7 M 95 GiP 10 43 57.7313485800 +11 42 13.301191332 10.71 10.51 9.73 9.48   ~ 1238 2
8 NGC 3521 EmG 11 05 48.5680991376 -00 02 09.245076540 10.06 9.83 9.02 10.1 9.6 ~ 879 2
9 M 66 AGN 11 20 15.0 +12 59 29 9.85 9.65 8.92     ~ 1509 4
10 NGC 3938 GiG 11 52 49.4335936248 +44 07 14.697085116 10.80 10.90 10.38     ~ 566 1
11 M 100 AGN 12 22 54.9299993592 +15 49 20.296257960 10.04 10.05 9.35     ~ 1963 2
12 NGC 4450 LIN 12 28 29.5910654016 +17 05 05.976112020   10.90 10.08     ~ 587 2
13 NGC 4559 H2G 12 35 57.6402869976 +27 57 35.859278160   10.46 10.01     ~ 667 1
14 M 58 Sy2 12 37 43.59747 +11 49 05.1240 10.80 10.48 9.66     ~ 1140 2
15 NGC 4725 Sy2 12 50 26.5716367992 +25 30 02.733090588   13.45 12.44     ~ 727 2
16 M 94 SyG 12 50 53.0737971432 +41 07 12.900884628 9.15 8.96 8.24 7.78   ~ 1476 2
17 M 64 SyG 12 56 43.696 +21 40 57.57   9.36 8.52     ~ 1010 2
18 M 51 Sy2 13 29 52.698 +47 11 42.93   9.26 8.36 8.40   ~ 4565 4
19 NGC 6946 H2G 20 34 52.332 +60 09 13.24   10.5       ~ 2661 2
20 NGC 7331 LIN 22 37 04.0506038088 +34 24 56.800076508 10.65 10.35 9.48     ~ 1284 2

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