在美杜莎之眼中供给恒星形成的分子卷须--高分辨率12 CO 2-1图中美杜莎的合并
Molecular tendrils feeding star formation in the Eye of the Medusa - The Medusa merger in high resolution 12CO 2-1 maps
摘要：
研究合并星系中的分子气体性质，为我们提供了相互作用引发的星暴的发生和演化的重要线索。NGC 4194是特别有趣的研究，因为它的FIR到CO光度比的竞争对手，ULIRGs，尽管其较低的光度相比，ULIRGs，这表明一个高的恒星形成效率，甚至是相对于大多数螺旋和ULIRGs。我们研究的分子介质在角分辨率为0.65“x .52”通过我们的观测CO2-1发射使用SMA。我们比较我们的CO2-1地图与光学HST和高角分辨率无线电连续图像，研究分子气体和其他组成部分的星暴区域之间的关系。分子气体追踪着NGC 4194复杂的尘埃带结构，最明亮的发射位于一个半径约为320 pc的非核环状结构，美杜莎之眼。在NGC 4194的运动学中心以南发现了环的大量CO排放。环的北端与星系核有关，那里是射电连续谱的峰值。射电连续谱中一个突出的次级辐射最大值位于分子环内部。这表明环的形态部分受到大质量超新星爆炸的影响。从综合证据来看，我们认为美杜莎之眼包含一个被扫过的物质外壳，在那里我们确定了一些巨大的分子协会。我们认为，眼可能是一个有效的5-7M_sun/yr的恒星爆发的网站，但它仍然只是NGC 4194的30-50M_sun/yr的SFR的一小部分。此外，我们发现，~50%的分子质量的NGC 4194被发现在扩展的平行结构跟踪的短轴和长轴尘埃带。我们认为，分子气体沿这些通道输送提供燃料的中央星爆区。
英文摘要：
Studying molecular gas properties in merging galaxies gives us important clues to the onset and evolution of interaction-triggered starbursts. NGC4194 is particularly interesting to study since its FIR-to-CO luminosity ratio rivals that of ULIRGs,despite its lower luminosity compared to ULIRGs, which indicates a high star formation efficiency that is relative to even most spirals and ULIRGs.We study the molecular medium at an angular resolution of 0.65"x .52" through our observations of CO2-1 emission using the SMA. We compare our CO2-1 maps with optical HST and high angular resolution radio continuum images to study the relationship between molecular gas and other components of the starburst region. The molecular gas is tracing the complicated dust lane structure of NGC4194 with the brightest emission being located in an off-nuclear ring-like structure with ~320pc radius, the Eye of the Medusa. The bulk CO emission of the ring is found south of the kinematical center of NGC4194. The northern tip of the ring is associated with the galaxy nucleus, where the radio continuum has its peak. A prominent, secondary emission maximum in the radio continuum is located inside the molecular ring. This suggests that the morphology of the ring is partially influenced by massive supernova explosions. From the combined evidence, we propose that the Eye of the Medusa contains a shell of swept up material where we identify a number of giant molecular associations. We propose that the Eye may be the site of an efficient starburst of 5-7M_sun/yr, but it would still constitute only a fraction of the 30-50M_sun/yr SFR of NGC4194. Furthermore, we find that ~50% of the molecular mass of NGC4194 is found in extended filamentary-like structures tracing the minor and major axis dust lanes. We suggest that molecular gas is transported along these lanes providing the central starburst region with fuel.
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