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Title:
Dense molecular gas and starbursts in ultraluminous galaxies
Authors:
Solomon, P. M.; Downes, D.; Radford, S. J. E.
Affiliation:
AA(New York, State University, Stony Brook), AB(Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique, Saint-Martin-d'Heres, France), AC(Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique, Saint-Martin-d'Heres, France)
Publication:
Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 387, March 10, 1992, p. L55-L59. (ApJL Homepage)
Publication Date:
03/1992
Category:
Astrophysics
Origin:
STI
NASA/STI Keywords:
INFRARED ASTRONOMY, INTERSTELLAR GAS, LUMINOSITY, MOLECULAR GASES, STAR FORMATION, STARBURST GALAXIES, ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI, CARBON MONOXIDE, HYDROCYANIC ACID, HYDROGEN, INFRARED TELESCOPES, MILKY WAY GALAXY, MOLECULAR CLOUDS, SPIRAL GALAXIES
DOI:
10.1086/186304
Bibliographic Code:
1992ApJ...387L..55S

Abstract

HCN(1 - 0) emission from five ultraluminous galaxies, three lower luminosity interacting systems, and two gas-rich normal galaxies was observed with the IRAM 30-m telescope. There are huge masses of high-density gas (2 x 10 exp 10 solar masses) in the ultraluminous galaxies, which shows that star formation, rather than AGN, generates their IR luminosity. The ratio of HCN to CO luminosity is 1/6 for ultraluminous galaxies, but only 1/80 in normal spiral galaxies. The ratio of FIR to HNC luminosity is similar in both ultraluminous galaxies and normal spirals, including the Milky Way, which suggests that the star formation rate per mass of dense gas is independent of the IR luminosity or the state of interaction. The molecular gas density in the central regions of the ultraluminous galaxies, about 500 solar masses/cu pc, is similar to the stellar density in the centers of elliptical galaxies, consistent with the idea that some mergers may eventually become ellipticals.

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