Molecular clouds and galactic spiral structure

Technical Report · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6592744

Dame, T M

Galactic CO line emission at 115 GHz was surveyed in order to study the distribution of molecular clouds in the inner galaxy. Comparison of this survey with similar H1 data reveals a detailed correlation with the most intense 21 cm features. To each of the classical 21 cm H1 spiral arms of the inner galaxy there corresponds a CO molecular arm which is generally more clearly defined and of higher contrast. A simple model is devised for the galactic distribution of molecular clouds. The modeling results suggest that molecular clouds are essentially transient objects, existing for 15 to 40 million years after their formation in a spiral arm, and are largely confined to spiral features about 300 pc wide.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, New York (USA). Goddard Inst. for Space Studies
• OSTI ID: 6592744
• Report Number(s): N-84-20457; NASA-TP-2288
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONFIGURATION
COSMIC GASES
EMISSION SPECTRA
FLUIDS
GALAXIES
GASES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SPECTRA
SPIRAL CONFIGURATION