Abstract
In order to precisely determine the temperature and density of molecular gas in the Large Magellanic Cloud, we made observations of the optically thin 13CO(J = 3-2) transition using the ASTE 10 m telescope toward nine peaks where 12CO(J = 3-2) clumps were previously detected with the same telescope. The molecular clumps include those in giant molecular cloud (GMC) Types I (with no signs of massive star formation), II (with H II regions only), and III (with H II regions and young star clusters). We detected 13CO(J = 3-2) emission toward all the peaks and found that their intensities are 3-12 times lower than those of 12CO(J = 3-2). We determined the intensity ratios of 12CO(J = 3-2) to 13CO(J = 3-2), R 12/13/ 3-2, and 13CO(J = 3-2) to 13CO(J = 1-0), R 13 3-2/1-0, at 45″ resolution. These ratios were used in radiative transfer calculations in order to estimate the temperature and density of the clumps. The clumps have a kinetic temperature range of T kin = 15-200K and a molecular hydrogen gas density range of n(H2) = 8 × 102-7 × 10 3cm-3. We confirmed that the higher density clumps have higher kinetic temperature and that the lower density clumps have lower kinetic temperature to better accuracy than in previous work. The kinetic temperature and density increase generally from a Type I GMC to a Type III GMC. We interpret that this difference reflects an evolutionary trend of star formation in molecular clumps. The R 13 3-2/1-0 and kinetic temperature of the clumps are well correlated with the Hα flux, suggesting that the heating of molecular gas with density n(H2) = 103-10 4cm-3 can be explained by stellar far-ultravoilet photons.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 73 |
| Journal | Astronomical Journal |
| Volume | 141 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 Mar |
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Keywords
- galaxies: individual (LMC)
- ISM: clouds
- ISM: molecules
- Magellanic Clouds
- radio lines: ISM
- submillimeter: general
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Space and Planetary Science
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
Cite this
Dense clumps in giant molecular clouds in the large magellanic cloud : Density and temperature derived from 13CO(J = 3-2) observations. / Minamidani, Tetsuhiro; Tanaka, Takanori; Mizuno, Yoji; Mizuno, Norikazu; Kawamura, Akiko; Onishi, Toshikazu; Hasegawa, Tetsuo; Tatematsu, Ken'Ichi; Takekoshi, Tatsuya; Sorai, Kazuo; Moribe, Nayuta; Torii, Kazufumi; Sakai, Takeshi; Muraoka, Kazuyuki; Tanaka, Kunihiko; Ezawa, Hajime; Kohno, Kotaro; Kim, Sungeun; Rubio, Mónica; Fukui, Yasuo.
In: Astronomical Journal, Vol. 141, No. 3, 73, 03.2011.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Dense clumps in giant molecular clouds in the large magellanic cloud
T2 - Density and temperature derived from 13CO(J = 3-2) observations
AU - Minamidani, Tetsuhiro
AU - Tanaka, Takanori
AU - Mizuno, Yoji
AU - Mizuno, Norikazu
AU - Kawamura, Akiko
AU - Onishi, Toshikazu
AU - Hasegawa, Tetsuo
AU - Tatematsu, Ken'Ichi
AU - Takekoshi, Tatsuya
AU - Sorai, Kazuo
AU - Moribe, Nayuta
AU - Torii, Kazufumi
AU - Sakai, Takeshi
AU - Muraoka, Kazuyuki
AU - Tanaka, Kunihiko
AU - Ezawa, Hajime
AU - Kohno, Kotaro
AU - Kim, Sungeun
AU - Rubio, Mónica
AU - Fukui, Yasuo
PY - 2011/3
Y1 - 2011/3
N2 - In order to precisely determine the temperature and density of molecular gas in the Large Magellanic Cloud, we made observations of the optically thin 13CO(J = 3-2) transition using the ASTE 10 m telescope toward nine peaks where 12CO(J = 3-2) clumps were previously detected with the same telescope. The molecular clumps include those in giant molecular cloud (GMC) Types I (with no signs of massive star formation), II (with H II regions only), and III (with H II regions and young star clusters). We detected 13CO(J = 3-2) emission toward all the peaks and found that their intensities are 3-12 times lower than those of 12CO(J = 3-2). We determined the intensity ratios of 12CO(J = 3-2) to 13CO(J = 3-2), R 12/13/ 3-2, and 13CO(J = 3-2) to 13CO(J = 1-0), R 13 3-2/1-0, at 45″ resolution. These ratios were used in radiative transfer calculations in order to estimate the temperature and density of the clumps. The clumps have a kinetic temperature range of T kin = 15-200K and a molecular hydrogen gas density range of n(H2) = 8 × 102-7 × 10 3cm-3. We confirmed that the higher density clumps have higher kinetic temperature and that the lower density clumps have lower kinetic temperature to better accuracy than in previous work. The kinetic temperature and density increase generally from a Type I GMC to a Type III GMC. We interpret that this difference reflects an evolutionary trend of star formation in molecular clumps. The R 13 3-2/1-0 and kinetic temperature of the clumps are well correlated with the Hα flux, suggesting that the heating of molecular gas with density n(H2) = 103-10 4cm-3 can be explained by stellar far-ultravoilet photons.
AB - In order to precisely determine the temperature and density of molecular gas in the Large Magellanic Cloud, we made observations of the optically thin 13CO(J = 3-2) transition using the ASTE 10 m telescope toward nine peaks where 12CO(J = 3-2) clumps were previously detected with the same telescope. The molecular clumps include those in giant molecular cloud (GMC) Types I (with no signs of massive star formation), II (with H II regions only), and III (with H II regions and young star clusters). We detected 13CO(J = 3-2) emission toward all the peaks and found that their intensities are 3-12 times lower than those of 12CO(J = 3-2). We determined the intensity ratios of 12CO(J = 3-2) to 13CO(J = 3-2), R 12/13/ 3-2, and 13CO(J = 3-2) to 13CO(J = 1-0), R 13 3-2/1-0, at 45″ resolution. These ratios were used in radiative transfer calculations in order to estimate the temperature and density of the clumps. The clumps have a kinetic temperature range of T kin = 15-200K and a molecular hydrogen gas density range of n(H2) = 8 × 102-7 × 10 3cm-3. We confirmed that the higher density clumps have higher kinetic temperature and that the lower density clumps have lower kinetic temperature to better accuracy than in previous work. The kinetic temperature and density increase generally from a Type I GMC to a Type III GMC. We interpret that this difference reflects an evolutionary trend of star formation in molecular clumps. The R 13 3-2/1-0 and kinetic temperature of the clumps are well correlated with the Hα flux, suggesting that the heating of molecular gas with density n(H2) = 103-10 4cm-3 can be explained by stellar far-ultravoilet photons.
KW - galaxies: individual (LMC)
KW - ISM: clouds
KW - ISM: molecules
KW - Magellanic Clouds
KW - radio lines: ISM
KW - submillimeter: general
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79953061615&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79953061615&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/0004-6256/141/3/73
DO - 10.1088/0004-6256/141/3/73
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79953061615
VL - 141
JO - Astronomical Journal
JF - Astronomical Journal
SN - 0004-6256
IS - 3
M1 - 73
ER -