Molecular clouds associated with luminous far-infrared sources in the outer Galaxy

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (107) References (58) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Molecular Clouds Associated with Luminous Far-Infrared Sources in the Outer Galaxy Carpenter, John M. ; Snell, Ronald L. ; Schloerb, F. Peter Abstract The stellar content and physical properties of the molecular clouds associated with 21 bright far-IR sources in the outer Galaxy have been determined through C-12O, C-13O, 6-cm radio continuum, and IRAS observations. The molecular cloud masses range from 200 to about 10,000 solar masses. The far-IR luminosity-to-mass ratio for these clouds has a mean value of 6.8 solar luminosity/solar masses and shows no correlation with the cloud mass, a result similar to that found for more massive clouds in the inner Galaxy. The radio continuum survey of the 21 bright far-IR sources indicates that most of these regions probably have a single, massive star providing most of the ionization. The cloud masses derived from virial and LTE analyses are in agreement, supporting the assumptions commonly made in their calculations, and a tight, near-linear correlation is found between the C-12O luminosity and the cloud mass. The H2 column density and integrated C-12O intensity are also correlated on a point-by-point basis, although the scatter is larger than the C-12O luminosity-cloud mass relation. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: October 1990 DOI: 10.1086/169251 Bibcode: 1990ApJ...362..147C Keywords: Far Infrared Radiation; Infrared Sources (Astronomy); Luminosity; Milky Way Galaxy; Molecular Clouds; Carbon Monoxide; Carbon 13; Infrared Astronomy Satellite; Interstellar Matter; Physical Properties; Astrophysics; GALAXIES: THE GALAXY; INTERSTELLAR: MOLECULES; INFRARED: SOURCES full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (20)