CLOGS – CO Large Outer-Galaxy Survey

Determining the nature of Outer Galaxy star formation

This project has been awarded 416 hours to extend and complement the CHIMPS, CHIMPS2 and COHRS surveys by completing ¹²CO J=3-2 observations in the longitude range ℓ = 198°-236°. This data set will produce the most sensitive, highest-resolution molecular cloud survey of the Outer Galaxy, which will be an invaluable data set for the JCMT and Galactic astronomy.

These data will also allow the following science goals to be achieved:

1. Determine the nature of star formation in the Outer Galaxy by producing a new, large sample of molecular clouds which are at large Galactocentric distances, but low heliocentric distances.
2. Analyse the power spectra of turbulence within molecular clouds, the ratio of solenoidal to compressive turbulence and the relation of these to the large variations in star-formation efficiency from cloud to cloud and as a function of Galactocentric radius.
3. Extend the study of the relationship between Galactic environment and molecular cloud properties into the Outer Galaxy where the molecular cloud conditions, such as metalilicity, are much different.
4. Determine Galactic structure as traced by molecular gas and star formation in the Outer Galaxy. Galactic structure is not well defined in this region of the Galaxy, and the high-resolution dense molecular gas observed at the JCMT has previously shown to be very efficient at tracing Galactic structure.

Coordinators: David Eden (UK), Harriet Parsons (EAO), Erik Rosolowsky (Canada), Kee-Tae Kim (South Korea), Yang Su (China), Tetsuhiro Minamidani (Japan), and Vivien Chen (Taiwan) .

 JCMT program code: M22AL003