Publication Abstracts

Grabelsky et al. 1988

Grabelsky, D.A., R.S. Cohen, L. Bronfman, and P. Thaddeus, 1988: Molecular clouds in the Carina arms: The largest objects; associated regions of star formation; and the Carina arm in the Galaxy. Astrophys. J., 331, 181-196, doi:10.1086/166548.

The Columbia CO survey of the southern Galactic plane is used to identify giant molecular clouds and cloud complexes in the Vela-Carina-Centaurus section of the Galaxy. Twenty-seven giant molecular clouds between l = 270° and 300° are catalogued and their heliocentric distances given. In addition, 16 clouds at l > 300° beyond the solar circle extend the catalog to include the very distant portion of the Carina arm. The most massive clouds in the catalog (M ≥ 105M) trace the Carina arm over 23 kpc in the plane of the Galaxy. The average mass of these objects is 1.4×106M, and their average spacing along the arm is 700 pc. The composite distribution projected onto the Galactic plane of the largest molecular clouds in the Carina arm and of similarly massive clouds in the first and second quadrants strongly suggests that the Carina and Sagittarius arms form a single spiral arm ∼40 kpc in length wrapping two-thirds of the way around the Galaxy. Descriptions of each cloud, including identification of associated star-forming regions, are presented in an Appendix.

Export citation: [ BibTeX ] [ RIS ]

BibTeX Citation

@article{gr03800l,
  author={Grabelsky, D. A. and Cohen, R. S. and Bronfman, L. and Thaddeus, P.},
  title={Molecular clouds in the Carina arms: The largest objects; associated regions of star formation; and the Carina arm in the Galaxy},
  year={1988},
  journal={Astrophysical Journal},
  volume={331},
  pages={181--196},
  doi={10.1086/166548},
}

[ Close ]

RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - gr03800l
AU  - Grabelsky, D. A.
AU  - Cohen, R. S.
AU  - Bronfman, L.
AU  - Thaddeus, P.
PY  - 1988
TI  - Molecular clouds in the Carina arms: The largest objects; associated regions of star formation; and the Carina arm in the Galaxy
JA  - Astrophys. J.
JO  - Astrophysical Journal
VL  - 331
SP  - 181
EP  - 196
DO  - 10.1086/166548
ER  -

[ Close ]

• Return to 1988 Publications

• Return to Publications Homepage