Molecular clouds and star formation in the inner galaxy - A comparison of CO, H II, and far-infrared surveys
P. C. Myers, T. M. Dame, P. Thaddeus, R. S. Cohen, R. F. Silverberg, E. Dwek, M. G. Hauser;
ApJ, 1986, 301, 398
ABSTRACT:Surveys of the galactic plane over galactic latitudes from -1 degree to +1 degree and galactic longitudes from 12 degrees to 60 degrees are
compared in the CO line at 2.6 mm, in the far-infrared (FIR) continuum at 150
micrometers and 250 micrometers, and in the radio continuum and H 110-alpha
recombination line at 6 cm.
The main purposes are to determine the degree of
association between FIR sources, H II regions, and molecular clouds in the first
quadrant and to describe and analyze the stellar content of these molecular
clouds.
Among the conclusions it is noted that most FIR sources coincide with HII
regions, and nearly all H II regions coincide with molecular clouds, and that
clouds in the inner galaxy are probably several tens of millions of years old
and may have been producing O stars for only about the most recent 20 percent
of their lives.
KEYWORDS: carbon monoxide, infrared astronomy, milky way galaxy, molecular clouds, star formation, far infrared radiation, galactic structure, h alpha line, h ii regions, hydrogen ions, lyman alpha radiation, mass distribution, protostars, stellar luminosity, stellar mass, tables (data)
PERSOKEY:co, fir, radio continuum, h2, h+, milky way, region hii, ,
CODE: myers86