A CO J=1-0 Survey of common optical/uv absorption sightlines

TL;DR

This study conducted a comprehensive survey of CO J=1-0 emission lines toward optical/UV absorption sightlines, revealing widespread emission linked to dark clouds and dense gas, and highlighting the relationship between absorption features and surrounding molecular gas.

Contribution

First large-scale mm-wave CO emission survey of optical/UV absorption sightlines, linking emission properties with absorption data and interstellar cloud environments.

Findings

CO emission detected in 65 of 110 sightlines

Emission is often optically thick and from dense gas or dark clouds

Optical/UV targets are associated with large quantities of neutral gas

Abstract

Context: Over the past thirty years a wealth of observations of CO and other molecules in optical/uv absorption in diffuse clouds has accumulated for which no comparable CO emission line data exist. Aims: To acquire mm-wave J=1-0 CO emission line profiles toward a substantial sample of commonly-studied optical/uv absorption line targets and to compare with the properties of the absorbing gas, especially the predicted emission line strengths. Methods: Using the ARO 12m telescope we observed mm-wavelength J=1-0 CO emission with spectral resolution R ~ 3x10^6 and spatial resolution 1' toward a sample of 110 lines of sight previously studied in optical/uv absorption lines of CO, \HH, CH, etc. Results: Interstellar CO emission was detected along 65 of the 110 lines of sight surveyed and there is a general superabundance of CO emission given the distribution of galactic latitudes in the survey sample. Much of the emission is optically thick or very intense and must emanate from dark clouds or warm dense gas near HII regions. Conclusions: Judging from the statistical superabundance of CO emission, seen also in the total line of sight reddening, the OB star optical/uv absorption line targets must be physically associated with the large quantities of neutral gas whose CO emission was detected, in which case they are probably influencing the absorbing gas by heating and/or photoionizing it. This explains why CO/H2 and 12CO/13CO ratios differ somewhat between $uv$ and mm-wave absorption line studies. Because the lines of sight have been preselected to have AV < 1 mag, relatively little of the associated material actually occults the targets, making it difficult for CO emission line observations to isolate the foreground gas contribution.