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T.T. Helfer, M.D. Thornley (NRAO), M.W. Regan (CIW/DTM), T. Wong, L. Blitz, D.C.-J. Bock (UC Berkeley), K. Sheth, S.N. Vogel, A. Harris (U Maryland)
We present a progress report on the BIMA SONG study of the 3 mm CO J = 1-0 emission from 44 nearby spiral galaxies. BIMA SONG, undertaken to study the role of molecular gas in the evolution of spiral galaxies, is the first systematic imaging survey of the CO emission from the centers and disks of nearby spiral galaxies on 6-9" size scales. The sample selection includes all (except M33) 44 galaxies of Hubble types Sa-Sd, with declinations \delta > -20 degrees, visual magnitudes B < 11.0, velocities v\rm hel < 2000 km~s-1, and inclination i < 70 degrees. In this poster, we emphasize the observing techniques that are required for imaging large (~ 200") fields of view in nearby galaxies. In particular, since an interferometer acts as a spatial filter to resolve out large structures on the sky, we observe using short baselines, and we incorporate total power measurements from the NRAO 12m telescope to produce maps with high spatial dynamic range.
This research is funded through grants from the National Science Foundation and from the States of Maryland and California.
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