The high-velocity molecular stream in W51B: a ring structure with compact H ii regions

Abstract

We present 13 CO J = 1 − 0 line observations of the H ii region complex W51B located in the high-velocity (HV) stream. These observations reveal a filamentary and clumpy structure in the molecular gas. The mean local standard of rest (LSR) velocity ∼ + 65 km s−1 of the molecular gas in this region is greater than the maximum velocities allowed by kinematic Galactic rotation curves. The size and mass of the molecular clouds are ∼ 48 × 17 pc2 and ∼ 2.4 × 105 M⊙ respectively. In a position–velocity diagram, molecular gas in the southern part comprises a redshifted ring structure with vLSR=+ 60 to +73 km s−1. The velocity gradient of this ring is ∼ 0.5 km s−1 pc−1, and the mass is ∼ 6.2 × 104 M⊙. If we assume that the ring is expanding with a uniform velocity, the expansion velocity, radius and kinetic energy are ∼ 7 km s−1, ∼ 13 pc and ∼ 3.0 × 10 49 erg respectively. The kinetic energy and mass spectrum of the ring could be explained by an expanding cylindrical cloud with a centrally condensed mass distribution. The locations of two compact H ii regions, G49.0−0.3 and G48.9−0.3, coincide with the two molecular clumps in this ring. We discuss star formation, and the mechanism that produced the ring structure.