Arc-like distribution of high CO(J=3-2)/CO(J=1-0) ratio gas surrounding the central star cluster of the supergiant HII region NGC 604

TL;DR

This study discovers an arc-like structure of high CO(J=3-2)/CO(J=1-0) ratio gas around NGC 604's star cluster, indicating warm, dense gas likely formed by stellar winds or supernovae, suggesting ongoing second-generation star formation.

Contribution

First detection of an arc-like high-ratio CO gas structure around NGC 604, linking it to star formation processes influenced by stellar feedback.

Findings

High-ratio gas arc extends ~200 pc around NGC 604.

R_{3-2/1-0} ratios are around or above unity, indicating warm, dense gas.

Dense gas formation likely triggered by stellar winds and supernovae.

Abstract

We report the discovery of a high CO(J=3-2)/CO(J=1-0) ratio gas with an arc-like distribution (``high-ratio gas arc'') surrounding the central star cluster of the supergiant HII region NGC 604 in the nearby spiral galaxy M 33, based on multi-J CO observations of a 5' $\times$ 5' region of NGC 604 conducted using the ASTE 10-m and NRO 45-m telescopes. The discovered ``high-ratio gas arc'' extends to the south-east to north-west direction with a size of $\sim$ 200 pc. The western part of the high-ratio gas arc closely coincides well with the shells of the HII regions traced by H$\alpha$ and radio continuum peaks. The CO(J=3-2)/CO(J=1-0) ratio, R_{3-2/1-0}, ranges between 0.3 and 1.2 in the observed region, and the R_{3-2/1-0} values of the high-ratio gas arc are around or higher than unity, indicating very warm (T_kin > 60 K) and dense (n(H_2) > 10^{3-4} cm^{-3}) conditions of the high-ratio gas arc. We suggest that the dense gas formation and second-generation star formation occur in the surrounding gas compressed by the stellar wind and/or supernova of the first-generation stars of NGC 604, i.e., the central star cluster of NGC 604.