The star formation rate-dense gas relation in galaxies as measured by HCN(3-2) emission

R. S. Bussmann; D. Narayanan; Y. L. Shirley; S. Juneau; J. Wu; P. M. Solomon; P. A. Vanden Bout; J. Moustakas; C. K. Walker

doi:10.1086/590181

The star formation rate-dense gas relation in galaxies as measured by HCN(3-2) emission

R. S. Bussmann, D. Narayanan, Y. L. Shirley, S. Juneau, J. Wu, P. M. Solomon, P. A. Vanden Bout, J. Moustakas, C. K. Walker

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39 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present observations made with the 10 m Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope of HCN(3-2) emission from a sample of 30 nearby galaxies ranging in infrared luminosity from 10¹⁰ to 10^12.5L_ȯ and HCN(3-2) luminosity from 10⁶ to 10⁹ K km s ^-1 pc². We examine the correlation between the infrared luminosity and HCN(3-2) luminosity and And that the best-fit linear regression has a slope (in log-log space) of 0.74 ± 0.12. Including recently published data from Graciá-Carpio et al. tightens the constraints on the best-fit slope to 0.79 ± 0.09. This slope below unity suggests that the HCN(3-2) molecular line luminosity is not linearly tracing the amount of dense gas. Our results are consistent with predictions from recent theoretical models that find slopes below unity when the line luminosity depends on the average gas density with a power-law index greater than a KennicuttSchmidt index of 1.5.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L73-L76
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	681
Issue number	2 PART 2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/590181
State	Published - 2008

Keywords

Galaxies: Evolution -
Galaxies: ISM -
Submillimeter

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/590181

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title = "The star formation rate-dense gas relation in galaxies as measured by HCN(3-2) emission",

abstract = "We present observations made with the 10 m Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope of HCN(3-2) emission from a sample of 30 nearby galaxies ranging in infrared luminosity from 1010 to 1012.5Lȯ and HCN(3-2) luminosity from 106 to 109 K km s -1 pc2. We examine the correlation between the infrared luminosity and HCN(3-2) luminosity and And that the best-fit linear regression has a slope (in log-log space) of 0.74 ± 0.12. Including recently published data from Graci{\'a}-Carpio et al. tightens the constraints on the best-fit slope to 0.79 ± 0.09. This slope below unity suggests that the HCN(3-2) molecular line luminosity is not linearly tracing the amount of dense gas. Our results are consistent with predictions from recent theoretical models that find slopes below unity when the line luminosity depends on the average gas density with a power-law index greater than a KennicuttSchmidt index of 1.5.",

keywords = "Galaxies: Evolution -, Galaxies: ISM -, Submillimeter",

author = "Bussmann, {R. S.} and D. Narayanan and Shirley, {Y. L.} and S. Juneau and J. Wu and Solomon, {P. M.} and {Vanden Bout}, {P. A.} and J. Moustakas and Walker, {C. K.}",

year = "2008",

doi = "10.1086/590181",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "681",

pages = "L73--L76",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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T1 - The star formation rate-dense gas relation in galaxies as measured by HCN(3-2) emission

AU - Bussmann, R. S.

AU - Narayanan, D.

AU - Shirley, Y. L.

AU - Juneau, S.

AU - Wu, J.

AU - Solomon, P. M.

AU - Vanden Bout, P. A.

AU - Moustakas, J.

AU - Walker, C. K.

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - We present observations made with the 10 m Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope of HCN(3-2) emission from a sample of 30 nearby galaxies ranging in infrared luminosity from 1010 to 1012.5Lȯ and HCN(3-2) luminosity from 106 to 109 K km s -1 pc2. We examine the correlation between the infrared luminosity and HCN(3-2) luminosity and And that the best-fit linear regression has a slope (in log-log space) of 0.74 ± 0.12. Including recently published data from Graciá-Carpio et al. tightens the constraints on the best-fit slope to 0.79 ± 0.09. This slope below unity suggests that the HCN(3-2) molecular line luminosity is not linearly tracing the amount of dense gas. Our results are consistent with predictions from recent theoretical models that find slopes below unity when the line luminosity depends on the average gas density with a power-law index greater than a KennicuttSchmidt index of 1.5.

AB - We present observations made with the 10 m Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope of HCN(3-2) emission from a sample of 30 nearby galaxies ranging in infrared luminosity from 1010 to 1012.5Lȯ and HCN(3-2) luminosity from 106 to 109 K km s -1 pc2. We examine the correlation between the infrared luminosity and HCN(3-2) luminosity and And that the best-fit linear regression has a slope (in log-log space) of 0.74 ± 0.12. Including recently published data from Graciá-Carpio et al. tightens the constraints on the best-fit slope to 0.79 ± 0.09. This slope below unity suggests that the HCN(3-2) molecular line luminosity is not linearly tracing the amount of dense gas. Our results are consistent with predictions from recent theoretical models that find slopes below unity when the line luminosity depends on the average gas density with a power-law index greater than a KennicuttSchmidt index of 1.5.

KW - Galaxies: Evolution -

KW - Galaxies: ISM -

KW - Submillimeter

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U2 - 10.1086/590181

DO - 10.1086/590181

M3 - Article

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SN - 0004-637X

VL - 681

SP - L73-L76

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 PART 2

ER -

The star formation rate-dense gas relation in galaxies as measured by HCN(3-2) emission

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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