Molecular gas structure on GMCs scales in the nearby galaxy M51

Séminaire IPAG de Gaëlle Dumas (IRAM), jeudi 5 janvier 2012 à 11h00, IPAG seminar room

The Plateau de Bure Arcsec Whirlpool Survey (PAWS, PI : E. Schinnerer) has imaged the CO(1-0) emission in the central 8 kpc of the nearby spiral galaxy M51. Our final data is a combination of the IRAM 30m single-dish and Plateau de Bure interferometer observations, reaching a linear resolution about 45pc and with sensitivity to giant molecular clouds (GMCs) above 10^5 Msun. Thanks to such high quality data, we are able to study the structure of the molecular gas from galactic scales (e.g. spiral arms) down to a single GMC. In particular we study the correlations between the CO(1-0), IR and Radio Continuum emissions on different spatial scales and investigate the physical processes behind these observed correlations. In this talk, I will present the first results of such an analysis and their consequences on star formation estimation within the galactic disk. I will then review the other prospects of this ambitious project, discussing in particular how high resolution mm observations (e.g. with ALMA) will further the study of the interstellar medium in nearby galaxies and its role in star formation.