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CO in NGC 5055

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2017

L.E.B. Johansson
Affiliation:
Onsala Space Observatory, S-439 00 Onsala, Sweden
R. S. Booth
Affiliation:
Onsala Space Observatory, S-439 00 Onsala, Sweden

Extract

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The flocculent spiral galaxy NGC 5055 has been mapped along the major axis in the 12CO (J = 1-0) line using the Onsala 20-m telescope (HPBW = 33″). Figure 1, which gives the spatial velocity diagram of CO emission on the major axis with observed Hα velocities (Kruit and Bosma, 1978) superimposed, seems to imply higher velocities of the regions responsible for the optical emission. Taking into account the cruder spatial resolution of the CO observations, this effect is expected in a region where the rotation curve rises rapidly provided that the CO emission increases toward the centre. Figure 2 shows the rotation velocities for the eastern and western parts of the galaxy separately, as observed in Hα and CO. For CO we only give the portion of the rotation curve which is accurately determined, i.e. where it is relatively flat. The CO velocities in this region agree closely with those observed in HI (Bosma, 1978). These data suggest a difference of 10-20 km s−1 between the Hα and CO velocities at a distance of ∼ 60″ from the centre. The radial distribution of the CO emission, also indicated in Fig. 2, is defined by an iterative fitting procedure to the observed line profiles (see Scoville et al. 1983). This procedure requests an a priori knowledge of the velocity field, here assumed to be defined by the Hα data inside a radius of 60″. However, the shapes of the observed spectra and “best fit” model profiles differ significantly in some cases, again indicating that the Hα velocities do not apply to the molecular gas. The derived radial distribution of the CO emission is dependent on the assumed velocity field; however, the gross characteristics are retained for more feasible rotation curves (i.e. rotation curves giving better fits to the observed profiles).

Type
II. Large Scale Processes of Star Formation
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1987 

References

Bosma, A.: 1978, , Groningen.Google Scholar
Kruit, P.C. van der, and Bosma, A.: 1978, Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. 34, 259.Google Scholar
Scoville, N.Z., Young, J.S., and Lucy, L.B.: 1983, Astrophys. J. 270, 443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar