ALMA Resolves 30 Doradus: Sub-parsec Molecular Cloud Structure Near the Closest Super-Star Cluster

TL;DR

This study uses ALMA's high-resolution observations to analyze the molecular cloud structure in 30 Doradus, revealing small-scale filaments, clumps, and their physical properties, and comparing them to Galactic clouds.

Contribution

First high-resolution ALMA imaging of molecular gas in an extragalactic star formation region, providing detailed analysis of clump properties and their relation to the environment.

Findings

Clumps follow similar size-linewidth trends as Milky Way clouds.

Clumps are pressure confined with larger linewidths at given sizes.

Dust and CO-based mass estimates are consistent, with some dust abundance reduction.

Abstract

We present ALMA observations of 30 Doradus -- the highest resolution view of molecular gas in an extragalactic star formation region to date (~0.4pc x 0.6pc). The 30Dor-10 cloud north of R136 was mapped in 12CO 2-1, 13CO 2-1, C18O 2-1, 1.3mm continuum, the H30alpha recombination line, and two H2CO 3-2 transitions. Most 12CO emission is associated with small filaments and clumps (<1pc, ~1000 Msun at the current resolution). Some clumps are associated with protostars, including "pillars of creation" photoablated by intense radiation from R136. Emission from molecular clouds is often analyzed by decomposition into approximately beam-sized clumps. Such clumps in 30 Doradus follow similar trends in size, linewidth, and surface density to Milky Way clumps. The 30 Doradus clumps have somewhat larger linewidths for a given size than predicted by Larson's scaling relation, consistent with pressure confinement. They extend to higher surface density at a given size and linewidth compared to clouds studied at 10pc resolution. These trends are also true of clumps in Galactic infrared-dark clouds; higher resolution observations of both environments are required. Consistency of clump masses calculated from dust continuum, CO, and the virial theorem reveals that the CO abundance in 30 Doradus clumps is not significantly different from the LMC mean, but the dust abundance may be reduced by ~2. There are no strong trends in clump properties with distance from R136; dense clumps are not strongly affected by the external radiation field, but there is a modest trend towards lower dense clump filling fraction deeper in the cloud.