Molecular clouds in Vela.
Abstract
The strong ridge of CO emission in the Vela direction discovered in the May et al. (1988) wide angle 0.5-deg resolution survey is analyzed in detail. Correlations with optical and radio tracers, supplemented by CO kinematic data, show there is a concentration of giant molecular clouds behind the Vela supernova remnant at a distance of about 1-2 kpc. The total mass of the clouds suggests that they may form a portion of the spiral arm feature as discussed previously by May et al. (1988). The central part of one of the Vela clouds, designated region C, was mapped at higher 8.8-arcsec resolution and was found to consist of three clumpy, warm, massive fragments, with numerous indications of recent and widespread massive star formation. Region C may also contain unusually high chemical abundances.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- July 1991
- Bibcode:
- 1991A&A...247..202M
- Keywords:
-
- Interstellar Matter;
- Molecular Clouds;
- Open Clusters;
- Interstellar Extinction;
- Milky Way Galaxy;
- Radio Spectra;
- Astrophysics