Large scale mapping of molecular gas in the vicinity of 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Jorge L. Pineda, Jürgen Ott, Tony Wong, Christian Henkel, Yasuo Fukui, Ulrich Klein, Axel Weiss, Lister Staveley-Smith, Maria Hunt-Cunningham, Tetsuhiro Minamidani

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present a large scale 12CO(1-0) map at unprecedented angular and velocity resolution of a prominent molecular ridge in the Large Magellanic Cloud obtained with the Mopra 22m telescope. The region stretches from 30 Doradus, the most vigorous star forming region in the Local Group, southward by ∼ 2.5 degrees. The position of this molecular ridge is truly unique as it allows us to study the properties of the molecular gas as a continuous function of the ambient radiation field in a low metallicity environment (LMC metallicity ∼ 30% solar). We show our first results of the clump mass distribution and the CO-to-H2 conversion factor for different strengths of the radiation field. Due to the extreme UV flux of the 30 Doradus region and the low metallicity of the LMC, this region may represent the best nearby laboratory to investigate the physical conditions of molecular gas of actively star forming galaxies in the early Universe.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)528
Number of pages1
JournalAstronomische Nachrichten
Volume326
Issue number7
StatePublished - 2005
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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