Star formation rates and the far-infrared luminosity of Galactic molecular clouds

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/185310· OSTI ID:6533982

Mooney, T J; Solomon, P M

The CO luminosity, far-IR luminosity, and virial mass of 55 molecular clouds are determined and related to star formation rates (SFRs) in the clouds. The SFR of OB stars per unit of available molecular mass is found to be independent of cloud mass and varies widely over a range of about 100 for clouds of mass between 30,000 and five million solar masses. The far-IR luminosity is proportional to the first power of the CO luminosity for clouds undergoing high-mass star formation. There are massive clouds without any current high-mass star formation. The average gas depletion time is about 2.5 billion yr. The far-IR luminosity-to-mass ratio for isolated or weakly interacting spiral galaxies observed by IRAS is twice that for the average Galactic molecular cloud. The star formation mechanism operating in strongly interacting galaxies is five times more efficient than that of the most active Galactic cloud and 30 times that of the average Galactic cloud. 20 references.

• Research Organization: New York State Univ., Stony Brook (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6533982
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 334; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CONFIGURATION
COSMIC GASES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FAR INFRARED RADIATION
FLUIDS
GALAXIES
GASES
GRAVITATIONAL INTERACTIONS
INFRARED RADIATION
INTERACTIONS
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
LUMINOSITY
MASS
MILKY WAY
MOLECULES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
SPACE
SPIRAL CONFIGURATION
STAR EVOLUTION
VIRIAL THEOREM