| 22nd of August 2018 |
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| The Mopra Southern Galactic Plane CO Survey -- Data Release 3 |
| by Braiding et al. |
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Since its astronomical discovery in 1970, the carbon monoxide (CO)
molecule has been utilised as a key tracer of molecular gas in the
Galaxy. Second in numerical abundance only to the hydrogen molecule,
the large abundance and low electric dipole moment of CO allow cold
molecular gas to be well-traced by the 115.27 GHz (J=1–0) rotational
transition. CO surveys of the molecular gas in the Galactic Plane can
help shape an understanding of star formation, dynamics, and chemistry
within the Milky Way.
Braiding et al. have recently presented observations of 50 square degrees of the Mopra carbon monoxide (CO) survey of the Southern Galactic Plane, covering Galactic longitudes from 300 to 350 degrees and latitudes between -0.5 and 0.5 degrees. The data were taken at 0.6 arcmin spatial resolution and 0.1 km/s spectral resolution, providing an unprecedented view of the molecular clouds and gas of the Southern Galactic Plane in the 109--115 GHz transitions of 12CO, 13CO, C18O, and C17O. More details are available from the full paper , which is published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia.
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