The molecular gas distribution in M51

Details The molecular gas distribution in M51 The molecular gas distribution in M51

Feb 1983

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1983apj...265..148s&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, Part 1, vol. 265, Feb. 1, 1983, p. 148, 149, 151-155, 157-165.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

237

Galactic Structure, Hydrogen Clouds, Mass To Light Ratios, Molecular Clouds, Radial Distribution, Spiral Galaxies, Abundance, Carbon Monoxide, Galactic Evolution, Galactic Nuclei, Interstellar Gas, Molecular Spectra, Radio Galaxies, Star Distribution

Scientific paper

CO emission has been mapped along four strips in M51 using the 14 m Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory telescope in order to sample the radial distribution of molecular gas. The derived abundance of H2 shows that three-fourths of the interstellar medium nucleons are in H2 rather than H I in the disk at R < 10 kpc. For galactic radii 1-10 kpc, the radial distributions of CO emission, optical light from the disk, far-infrared flux, and nonthermal radio emission can be described by similar exponentials in R between 1 and 10 kpc with scale lengths ≡4 kpc. This contrasts sharply with the distribution of H I emission, which exhibits a hole in the center and a much flatter disk. The kinematics of CO are consistent with a total mass distribution (stars + gas) with surface density proportional to the disk light (i.e., constant M/L outside the nucleus).

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