An Investigation of the Molecular Clouds of the Carina HII Region/Molecular Cloud Complex—First Results

The Carina Nebula is an extremely bright southern HII region embedded in a giant molecular cloud and contains some of the most massive stars known in our Galaxy. We are undertaking a multi-wavelength study of the Carina Nebula in order to examine the detailed kinematics and distribution of the molecular and ionised gas, and to look for further evidence of ongoing star formation. Here we present the results of the initial molecular cloud observations which were made by observing the ¹²CO(1-0) emission with the Mopra antenna. The observations reveal the clumpy morphology of the molecular gas, and allow us to identify many interesting regions for follow-up observations.