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Cataloguing Molecular Cloud Populations in Galaxy M100
  • Natalie Hervieux,
  • Erik Rosolowsky
Natalie Hervieux
University of Alberta

Corresponding Author:nhervieu@ualberta.ca

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Erik Rosolowsky
University of Alberta
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Abstract

We compare the properties of giant molecular associations in the galaxy Messier 100 (M100) with those of the less massive giant molecular clouds in the Milky Way and Local Group, while also observing how those properties change within M100 itself. From this analysis of cloud mass, radius, and velocity dispersion, we determine that the clouds are in or near virial equilibrium and that their properties are consistent with the underlying trends for the Milky Way. We find differences between nuclear, arm and inter-arm M100 populations, such as the nuclear clouds being the most massive and turbulent, and arm and inter-arm populations having differently shaped mass distributions from one another. Through the analysis of velocity gradients, cloud motion can be attributed to turbulence rather than large scale shearing motion. This is supported by our comparison with turbulence regulated star formation models. Finally, we calculate ISM depletion times to see how quickly clouds turn gas into stars and found that clouds form stars more efficiently if they are turbulent or dense.