Large scale IRAM 30m CO-observations in the giant molecular cloud complex W43

We aim to give a full description of the distribution and location of dense molecular clouds in the giant molecular cloud complex W43. It has previously been identified as one of the most massive star-forming regions in our Galaxy. To trace the moderately dense molecular clouds in the W43 region, we initiated an IRAM 30m large program, named W43-HERO, covering a large dynamic range of scales (from 0.3 to 140 pc). We obtained on-the-fly-maps in 13CO (2-1) and C18O (2-1) with a high spectral resolution of 0.1 km/s and a spatial resolution of 12". These maps cover an area of ~1.5 square degrees and include the two main clouds of W43, as well as the lower density gas surrounding them. A comparison with Galactic models and previous distance calculations confirms the location of W43 near the tangential point of the Scutum arm at a distance from the Sun of approximately 6 kpc. The resulting intensity cubes of the observed region are separated into sub-cubes, centered on single clouds which are then analyzed in detail. The optical depth, excitation temperature, and H2 column density maps are derived out of the 13CO and C18O data. These results are then compared with those derived from Herschel dust maps. The mass of a typical cloud is several 10^4 solar masses while the total mass in the dense molecular gas (>100 cm^-3) in W43 is found to be about 1.9e6 solar masses. Probability distribution functions obtained from column density maps derived from molecular line data and Herschel imaging show a log-normal distribution for low column densities and a power-law tail for high densities. A flatter slope for the molecular line data PDF may imply that those selectively show the gravitationally collapsing gas

THOR - The HI, OH, Recombination Line Survey of the Milky Way - The pilot study: HI observations of the giant molecular cloud W43

To study the atomic, molecular and ionized emission of Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs), we have initiated a Large Program with the VLA: 'THOR - The HI, OH, Recombination Line survey of the Milky Way'. We map the 21cm HI line, 4 OH lines, 19 H_alpha recombination lines and the continuum from 1 to 2 GHz of a significant fraction of the Milky Way (l=15-67deg, |b|<1deg) at ~20" resolution. In this paper, we focus on the HI emission from the W43 star-formation complex. Classically, the HI 21cm line is treated as optically thin with column densities calculated under this assumption. This might give reasonable results for regions of low-mass star-formation, however, it is not sufficient to describe GMCs. We analyzed strong continuum sources to measure the optical depth, and thus correct the HI 21cm emission for optical depth effects and weak diffuse continuum emission. Hence, we are able to measure the HI mass of W43 more accurately and our analysis reveals a lower limit of M=6.6x10^6 M_sun, which is a factor of 2.4 larger than the mass estimated with the assumption of optically thin emission. The HI column densities are as high as N(HI)~150 M_sun/pc^2 ~ 1.9x10^22 cm^-2, which is an order of magnitude higher than for low mass star formation regions. This result challenges theoretical models that predict a threshold for the HI column density of ~10 M_sun/pc^2, at which the formation of molecular hydrogen should set in. By assuming an elliptical layered structure for W43, we estimate the particle density profiles. While at the cloud edge atomic and molecular hydrogen are well mixed, the center of the cloud is strongly dominated by molecular hydrogen. We do not identify a sharp transition between hydrogen in atomic and molecular form. Our results are an important characterization of the atomic to molecular hydrogen transition in an extreme environment and challenges current theoretical models

IRAM 30m CO-observations in W43 (Carlhoff+, 2013)

VizieR On-line Data Catalog: J/A+A/560/A24. Originally published in: 2013A&A...560A..24CWe observed molecular clouds in the giant star forming region W43. For this project we used the IRAM 30m telescope to observe the molecular emission lines 13CO (2-1) and C18O (2-1), that trace the mid-density (n~103cm-3) molecular gas. The lines were observed with the HERA receiver and the VESPA backend. At the observed frequencies the IRAM 30m has a beam size of 11.7". We include two FITS files containing the data-cubes (pos-pos-vel) of the 13CO and C18O emission lines of the W43 complex. We used equatorial coordinates for the spatial dimensions and vlsr for the spectral dimension. The pixel size is 5.9" in spatial dimension and the spectral resolution is 0.16km/s. All values are in K. The data-cubes span an area of about 1x1.5° (RAxDec) around the center of the maps at 18:46:54.4 -02:14:11 (EQ=J2000) and the velocity range from 30 to 130km/s and include the complete W43 complex and several fore- and background clouds. (2 data files)

The onset of high-mass star formation in the direct vicinity of the Galactic mini-starburst W43

International audienceContext. The earliest stages of high-mass star formation are still poorly characterized. Densities, temperatures and kinematics are crucial parameters for simulations of high-mass star formation. It is also unknown whether the initial conditions vary with environment. Aims: We want to investigate the youngest massive gas clumps in the environment of extremely active star formation. Methods: We selected the IRDC 18454 complex, directly associated with the W43 Galactic mini-starburst, and observed it in the continuum emission between 70 μm and 1.2 mm with Herschel, APEX and the 30 m telescope, and in spectral line emission of N2H+ and 13CO with the Nobeyama 45 m, the IRAM 30 m and the Plateau de Bute Interferometer. Results: The multi-wavelength continuum study allows us to identify clumps that are infrared dark even at 70 μm and hence the best candidates to be genuine high-mass starless gas clumps. The spectral energy distributions reveal elevated temperatures and luminosities compared to more quiescent environments. Furthermore, we identify a temperature gradient from the W43 mini-starburst toward the starless clumps. We discuss whether the radiation impact of the nearby mini-starburst changes the fragmentation properties of the gas clumps and by that maybe favors more high-mass star formation in such an environment. The spectral line data reveal two different velocity components of the gas at 100 and 50 km s-1. While chance projection is a possibility to explain these components, the projected associations of the emission sources as well as the prominent location at the Galactic bar - spiral arm interface also allow the possibility that these two components may be spatially associated and even interacting. Conclusions: High-mass starless gas clumps can exist in the close environment of very active star formation without being destroyed. The impact of the active star formation sites may even allow for more high-mass stars to form in these 2nd generation gas clumps. This particular region near the Galactic bar - spiral arm interface has a broad distribution of gas velocities, and cloud interactions may be possible. The Herschel, APEX, Nobeyama and PdBI data are available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/538/A11</A

Large-scale Map of Millimeter-wavelength Hydrogen Radio Recombination Lines around a Young Massive Star Cluster

We report the first map of large-scale (10 pc in length) emission of millimeter-wavelength hydrogen recombination lines (mm-RRLs) toward the giant H II region around the W43-Main young massive star cluster (YMC). Our mm-RRL data come from the IRAM 30 m telescope and are analyzed together with radio continuum and cm-RRL data from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and HCO+ 1-0 line emission data from the IRAM 30 m. The mm-RRLs reveal an expanding wind-blown ionized gas shell with an electron density similar to 70-1500 cm(-3) driven by the WR/OB cluster, which produces a total Ly alpha photon flux of 1.5 x 10(50) s(-1). This shell is interacting with the dense neutral molecular gas in the W43-Main dense cloud. Combining the high spectral and angular resolution mm-RRL and cm-RRL cubes, we derive the two-dimensional relative distributions of dynamical and pressure broadening of the ionized gas emission and find that the RRL line shapes are dominated by pressure broadening (4-55 km s(-1)) near the YMC and by dynamical broadening (8-36 km s(-1)) near the shell's edge. Ionized gas clumps hosting ultra-compact H II regions found at the edge of the shell suggest that large-scale ionized gas motion triggers the formation of new star generation near the periphery of the shell