Are molecular clouds in virial equilibrium?

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (56) References (20) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Are Molecular Clouds in Virial Equilibrium? Maloney, Phil Abstract A correlation between CO luminosities and virial theorem masses of Galactic molecular clouds has been claimed to prove conclusively that molecular clouds are in gravitational virial equilibrium. This correlation is an artifact of the size-line width relation exhibited by molecular clouds, which does not require clouds to be virialized. Virial theorem masses do not provide an estimate of N(H2)/I(co). Comparison of the virial theorem-derived values of N(H2)/I(co) with the gamma-ray value shows that the masses of lower luminosity clouds are considerably overestimated by virial theorem analyses; these clouds are probably strongly influenced by nongravitational forces. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: January 1990 DOI: 10.1086/185618 Bibcode: 1990ApJ...348L...9M Keywords: Carbon Monoxide; Interstellar Matter; Milky Way Galaxy; Molecular Clouds; Virial Theorem; Interstellar Gas; Luminosity; Spectral Line Width; Astrophysics; GALAXIES: THE GALAXY; INTERSTELLAR: MOLECULES full text sources ADS |