ALMA reveals molecular cloud N55 in the Large Magellanic Cloud as a site of massive star formation

Abstract

We present the molecular cloud properties of N55 in the Large Magellanic Cloud using ${}^{12}$CO(1-0) and ${}^{13}$CO(1-0) observations obtained with Atacama Large Millimeter Array. We have done a detailed study of molecular gas properties, to understand how the cloud properties of N55 differ from Galactic clouds. Most CO emission appears clumpy in N55, and molecular cores that have YSOs show larger linewidths and masses. The massive clumps are associated with high and intermediate mass YSOs. The clump masses are determined by local thermodynamic equilibrium and virial analysis of the ${}^{12}$CO and ${}^{13}$CO emissions. These mass estimates lead to the conclusion that, (a) the clumps are in self-gravitational virial equilibrium, and (b) the ${}^{12}$CO(1-0)-to-H${}_2$ conversion factor, X${}_{\mathrm{CO}}$, is 6.5$\times$10${}^{20}$cm${}^{-2}$(K km s${}^{-1}$)${}^{-1}$. This CO-to-H${}_2$ conversion factor for N55 clumps is measured at a spatial scale of $\sim$0.67 pc, which is about two times higher than the X${}_{\mathrm{CO}}$ value of Orion cloud at a similar spatial scale. The core mass function of N55 clearly show a turnover below 200M${}_{\odot }$, separating the low-mass end from the high-mass end. The low-mass end of the ${}^{12}$CO mass spectrum is fitted with a power law of index 0.5$\pm$0.1, while for ${}^{13}$CO it is fitted with a power law index 0.6$\pm$0.2. In the high-mass end, the core mass spectrum is fitted with a power index of 2.0$\pm$0.3 for ${}^{12}$CO, and with 2.5$\pm$0.4 for ${}^{13}$CO. This power-law behavior of the core mass function in N55 is consistent with many Galactic clouds.

Accepted to ApJ

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• Unveiling the nature of candidate high-mass young stellar objects in the Magellanic Clouds with near-IR spectroscopy
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