Compact Molecular Gas Structure in the Interacting Galaxy Pair ARP 299 (IC 694--NGC 3690)
Abstract
High-resolution (≡5arcsec) CO observations of the interacting galaxy pair Arp 299 (IC 694 - NGC 3690) show that ≡40% of the total molecular gas content is concentrated in two compact regions each of mass 1.4×109M_sun;. One component lies at the nucleus of IC 694, while the other spans the region of overlap between the two galaxies. The properties of the latter component are consistent with its being a region of greatly enhanced star formation. However, the unusually high LFIR/M(H2) ratio for IC 694, together with the presence of a flat-spectrum radio source, suggest that its remarkable luminosity may be largely produced by nonthermal processes.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- January 1987
- DOI:
- 10.1086/184815
- Bibcode:
- 1987ApJ...312L..35S
- Keywords:
-
- Galactic Evolution;
- Infrared Sources (Astronomy);
- Interacting Galaxies;
- Intergalactic Media;
- Molecular Clouds;
- Star Formation;
- Extragalactic Radio Sources;
- Galactic Nuclei;
- Mass To Light Ratios;
- Astrophysics;
- GALAXIES: EVOLUTION;
- GALAXIES: GENERAL;
- INTERSTELLAR: MOLECULES;
- STARS: FORMATION