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Cold dust and its relation to molecular gas in the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 4449

C. Boettner·U. Klein·A. Heithausen
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Abstract

We present observations of the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 4449 at 850 $μ$m and 450 $μ$m obtained with SCUBA at the JCMT. The distribution of the cold dust agrees well with that of the CO and H$α$ emission. To explain the integrated mm- through far-infrared continuum spectrum three dust components are required, with temperatures of 16 K, 39 K and 168 K, respectively. The dust mass is dominated by the cold dust component; we derive a total dust mass of \~3.8 x10^6 Msun, and with the local gas-to-dust ratio of ~130 a total gas mass of M(HI+H_2}~4.9 x 10^8 Msun. Comparison with the HI mass leads to a total molecular gas mass of ~3.4 x 10^8 Msun. We derive a conversion factor of the CO line intensity to molecular hydrogen column density XCO = N(H_2)/I(CO) which is at least 11 times larger than the Galactic value. These values are in accord with the lower metallicity of NGC 4449.

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C. Boettner, U. Klein, A. Heithausen. 2003-06-30. Cold dust and its relation to molecular gas in the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 4449. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%3A20031009

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