Star Formation In LITTLE THINGS: A First Look With Herschel
Abstract
Far infrared atomic and molecular lines from Photodissociation Regions (PDRs) provide us with the means to probe for 'hidden H2', or molecular hydrogen not detected via the usual relation with CO. Having a good grasp on the available H2 reservoir in a galaxy is important for determining its star formation properties. We present a first peek at Herschel spectroscopy of five very metal-poor dwarfs in the LITTLE THINGS survey. These targets have metallicities of 12+log(O/H) = 7.4 to 7.8. We have maps of [C II] 158 µm, [O I] 63 µm, [N II] 122 µm, and [O III] 88 µm - the major FIR cooling lines - to probe the relation between atomic and molecular gas at low metallicities.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #220
- Pub Date:
- May 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012AAS...22042806C