The First CO Map of a Low Surface Brightness Galaxy

Abstract

Using the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Millimeter-Wavelength Array (OVRO) we have obtained the first CO map of a low surface brightness (LSB) galaxy. The studied galaxy, UGC 01922, was chosen for these observations because both of its previous CO detection with the IRAM 30m telescope and its classification as a Malin 1 `cousin' - an LSB galaxy with M_HI > 10^10 Msol. The OVRO map detected approximately 65% of the CO(1-0) flux found earlier with the single dish measurements, giving a detected gas mass equivalent to M_H2 = 1.1X10^9 Msol. The integrated gas peak lies at the center of the galaxy and coincides with both the optical and 1.4 GHz continuum emission peaks. The molecular gas extends well beyond the OVRO beam size (~4'' or 3 kpc), covering ~25% of the optical bulge. In all, perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this map is its unexceptional appearance. Given that it took over ten years to successfully detect molecular gas in any low surface brightness system, it is surprising that the appearance and distribution of UGC 01922's CO is similar to what would be expected for a high surface brightness galaxy in the same morphological class.

arXiv comment5 pages, including 3 figures and 3 tables. also available online at http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~koneil. Accepted by ApJL

References in corpus (8)

• Bar-driven Transport of Molecular Gas to Galactic Centers and Its Consequences
• HI observations of low surface brightness galaxies: Probing low-density galaxies
• High-resolution rotation curves of low surface brightness galaxies: Data
• Oxygen Abundances in Low Surface Brightness Disk Galaxies
• Molecular Gas Kinematics in Barred Spiral Galaxies
• Nebular velocities in type Ia Supernovae and their relationship to light curves
• First Detection of CO in a Low Surface Brightness Galaxy
• Star Formation and Tidal Encounters with the Low Surface Brightness Galaxy UGC 12695 and Companions

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• Properties of Molecular Gas in Massive Low Surface Brightness Galaxies, Including New 12CO Observations of Three Malin 1 `Cousins'
• VIMOS-VLT Integral Field Kinematics of the Giant Low Surface Brightness Galaxy ESO 323-G064
• Studying the radio continuum from nuclear activity and star formation in Giant Low Surface Brightness Galaxies
• Fundamental properties of the dark and the luminous matter from Low Surface Brightness discs