Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
ZENODOarrow_drop_down
ZENODO
Presentation . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Presentation . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
versions View all 2 versions
addClaim

Unraveling Star Formation in M51 with High-Resolution Molecular Line Mapping

Authors: Galić, Ina; Mallory Thorp, Frank Bigiel, the SWAN team;

Unraveling Star Formation in M51 with High-Resolution Molecular Line Mapping

Abstract

Through new NOEMA (Northern Extended Millimetre Array) observations of the M51 galaxy, our team is trying to address the gap between galactic and extragalactic CO and CO isotopologue studies. As part of the SWAN (Surveying the Whirlpool at Arcseconds with NOEMA) survey, this data maps 13CO, C18O and multiple dense gas emission lines in the inner 5 x 7 kpc2 at the unprecedented resolution (~125 pc) for a galaxy of this type. We analyze how the spatial distribution of 13CO(1-0) and C18O(1-0) emission in M51 varies with opacity and molecular abundance, revealing underlying gas conditions across diverse environments (nuclear bar, molecular ring, spiral arms and interarm regions). We find a moderate positive correlation between the 13CO(1-0)/C18O(1-0) ratio and galactocentric radius and a moderate negative correlation with star formation rate surface density. While the overall trends align with previous kiloparsec-scale studies - suggesting that the physical and chemical processes governing these emission lines operate similarly across both scales - variations across environments suggest localized processes play a larger role than previously expected. To further pin-down the impact of stellar populations and feedback processes on the interstellar medium, we attempt to capture the star-formation process in its entirety by combining SWAN with JWST-FEAST. Together, these datasets offer a novel view into the physical and chemical conditions closely linked to recent star formation.

  • BIP!
    Impact byBIP!
    selected citations
    These citations are derived from selected sources.
    This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    0
    popularity
    This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    Average
    impulse
    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
Upload OA version
Are you the author of this publication? Upload your Open Access version to Zenodo!
It’s fast and easy, just two clicks!