[73.05] AST/RO Observations of CO ($J$=7$-$6) Emission in NGC 6334

AAS 200th meeting, Albuquerque, NM, June 2002
Session 73. Interim Stellar Materials: Gas, Dust and Clouds
Display, Thursday, June 6, 2002, 9:20am-4:00pm, SW Exhibit Hall

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[73.05] AST/RO Observations of CO (J=7-6) Emission in NGC 6334

S. Kim, A.P. Lane, A.A. Stark, C.L. Martin (CfA), D. Narayanan (Univ. of Florida), M. Yan (CfA)

We present maps of the massive, southern star-forming region NGC6334 in the CO (J=7-6), CO (J=4-3), and 809 GHz [CI] transitions. These lines were observed with the Antarctic Submillimeter Telescope and Remote Observatory (AST/RO) located at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. We find two high-excitation CO components on either side of the X-ray emission peak mapped with ASCA (Sekimoto et al. 2000). Our Large Velocity Gradient (LVG) excitation analysis of the line intensity ratios indicates that the photon-dominated regions in NGC6334 have densities of n(H2) ~ 10^(3.9-4.2) cm^-3 and kinetic temperatures of T_{\mathrm k} ~ 25-55 K. With these physical parameters in conjunction with our previously observed 492 GHz [CI] line map, we will discuss a thermal chemical photodissociation model of gas clouds around star forming sites in NGC 6334.

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under a cooperative agreement with the Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica (CARA), grant NSF OPP 89-20223. CARA is a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center.

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