Relations between Molecular Cloud Structure Sizes and Line Widths in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Tony Wong, Annie Hughes, Kazuki Tokuda, Rémy Indebetouw, Toshikazu Onishi, Jeffrey B. Bandurski, C. H.Rosie Chen, Yasuo Fukui, Simon C.O. Glover, Ralf S. Klessen, Jorge L. Pineda, Julia Roman-Duval, Marta Sewiło, Evan Wojciechowski, Sarolta Zahorecz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present a comparative study of the size-line width relation for substructures within six molecular clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) mapped with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Our sample extends our previous study, which compared a Planck detected cold cloud in the outskirts of the LMC with the 30 Doradus molecular cloud and found the typical line width for 1 pc radius structures to be five times larger in 30 Doradus. By observing clouds with intermediate levels of star formation activity, we find evidence that the line width at a given size increases with increasing local and cloud-scale 8 μm intensity. At the same time, the line width at a given size appears to independently correlate with measures of the mass surface density. Our results suggest that both virial-like motions due to gravity and local energy injection by star formation feedback play important roles in determining intracloud dynamics.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number50
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume885
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2019

Keywords

  • ISM: molecules
  • Magellanic Clouds
  • galaxies: ISM
  • radio lines: ISM

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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