ALMA FACTS III. High-Resolution CO(2-1)/CO(1-0) Maps of Twelve Nearby Galaxies

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution ALMA observations to analyze the CO(2-1)/CO(1-0) line ratio in twelve nearby galaxies, revealing how molecular gas properties vary systematically with galactic structure and dynamics.

Contribution

It provides new high-resolution CO line ratio maps across diverse galaxy types, demonstrating the influence of galactic morphology and dynamics on molecular gas conditions.

Findings

High $R_{21}$ ratios in galaxy centers

Variation of $R_{21}$ along bars and spiral arms

Correlation between $R_{21}$ and star-forming regions

Abstract

We present early results from a high-resolution analysis ($\sim$100-200pc) of the CO(2-1)/CO(1-0) line ratio in twelve nearby galaxies. We use new ALMA CO(1-0) observations from the Fundamental CO(1-0) Transition Survey (FACTS), and re-imaged CO(2-1) data from PHANGS. We make empirical classifications based on the optical and molecular gas morphologies, which show clear systematic trends in the variation of $R_{21}$ as a function of galactic structure. The sample includes barred and unbarred, and flocculent galaxies. The barred spiral galaxies follow a general trend when the gas exists significantly: $R_{21}$ is high in the center, low along the bar, increases at the bar ends, and then lowers beyond the bar end or flattens in the outer parts of the disk. The structure dependence suggests the importance of galactic dynamics on molecular gas evolution, and consequently on star formation, in galaxies. $R_{21}$ fluctuates in the spiral arms for both barred and unbarred galaxies. Areas around HII regions in some cases appear to show more high-ratio gas. Together, $R_{21}$ varies systematically as a function of galactic structure, dynamics, and star formation activity.