Resolved Atomic Super-clouds in Spiral Galaxies
Abstract
Description
High quality data are presented of neutral hydrogen emission and absorption in the fields of eleven of the nearest spiral galaxies. Multi-configuration VLA observations have provided angular resolution of 6~arcsec (corresponding to about 100~pc at the average galaxy distance of 3.5~Mpc) and velocity resolution of 6~km~s$^{-1}$, while accurately recovering the total line flux detected previously with filled apertures. Previous experience suggests that this physical resolution is sufficient to at least marginally resolve the \ion{H}{1} super-cloud population which delineates regions of active star formation. A high brightness filamentary network of \ion{H}{1} super-clouds is seen in each galaxy. Emission brightness temperatures in excess of 200~Kelvin are sometimes detected at large radii, even in relatively face-on systems. All galaxies display a systematic increase in the observed brightness temperature of super-clouds with radius, followed by a flattening and subsequent decline. In the few instances where background continuum sources allow detection of \ion{H}{1} absorption, the indicative spin temperatures are consistent with the super-cloud brightness temperature seen in emission at similar radii. These data suggest substantial opacity of the \ion{H}{1} in the super-cloud network.
11 page LaTeX requires aastex style files version 4. Hardcopies of 11 figures available from the author on request. To appear in Astr.Astroph.Suppl., December II 1995
11 page LaTeX requires aastex style files version 4. Hardcopies of 11 figures available from the author on request. To appear in Astr.Astroph.Suppl., December II 1995