The Galactic Distribution of Infrared Dark Clouds

Details The Galactic Distribution of Infrared Dark Clouds The Galactic Distribution of Infrared Dark Clouds

May 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008aas...212.8603j&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #212, #86.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.267

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

CS 2-1 measurements toward a large sample of fourth Galactic quadrant infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) were made with the Australia Telescope National Facility Mopra telescope in order to establish their kinematic distances and Galactic distribution. Due to its large critical density, CS unambiguously separates the dense IRDCs from more diffuse giant molecular clouds. The fourth quadrant IRDCs show a pronounced peak in their radial Galactocentric distribution at R = 6 kpc. A comparison with the distribution of first quadrant IRDCs, deduced by 13CO emission with FCRAO, shows that the first quadrant IRDC distribution also shows a peak, but at a Galactocentric radius of R = 5 kpc rather than 6 kpc. This disparity in the peak Galactocentric radius suggests that IRDCs are tracing a spiral arm which lies closer to the sun in the fourth quadrant. Indeed, the deduced IRDC distribution matches the location of the ``Scutum-Centaurus'' arm in Milky Way models dominated by two spiral arms. Since, in external galaxies, high mass OB stars form primarily in spiral arms, the association of IRDCs with a Milky Way spiral arm supports the idea that high mass stars form in IRDCs.

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