Changing Molecular Gas Properties in the Bar and Canter of NGC7479

Details Changing Molecular Gas Properties in the Bar and Canter of NGC7479 Changing Molecular Gas Properties in the Bar and Canter of NGC7479

2000-08-31

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0008511v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

16 pages, 12 ps figures included, accepted by A&A

Scientific paper

We present sensitive interferometric 12CO, 13CO and HCN observations of the barred spiral galaxy NGC7479, known to be one of the few barred galaxies with a continuous gas-filled bar. We focus on the investigation and interpretation of 12CO/13CO line intensity ratios, which is facilitated by having more than 90% of the flux in our interferometer maps. The global (9kpc by 2.5kpc) value of the 12CO/13CO ratio is high at 20 - 40. On smaller scales (~ 750 pc), the ratio is found to vary dramatically, reaching values > 30 in large parts of the bar, but dropping to values ~ 5, typical for galactic disks, at a 13CO condensation in the southern part of the bar. We interpret these changes in terms of the relative importance of the contribution of a diffuse molecular component, characterized by unbound gas that has a moderate optical depth in the 12CO(1 - 0) transition. This component dominates the 12CO along the bar and is also likely to play an important role in the center of NGC7479. In the center, the 12CO and the HCN intensity peaks coincide, while the 13CO peak is slightly offset. This can be explained in terms of high gas temperature and density at the 12CO peak position. Along the bar, the relation between the distribution of 12CO, 13CO, dust lanes and velocity gradient is complex. A southern 13CO condensation is found offset from the 12CO ridge that generally coincides with the most prominent dust lanes. It is possible that strong 13CO detections along the bar indicate quiescent conditions, downstream from the major bar shock. Still, these condensations are found close to high velocity gradients. In the central region, the velocity gradient is traced much more closely by 13CO than by 12CO.

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