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Di Li

Publications and source records attributed to Di Li.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Accelerating FRB Search: Dataset and Methods

Fast Radio Burst (FRB) is an extremely energetic cosmic phenomenon of short duration. Discovered only recently and with its origin still unknown, FRBs have already started to play a significant role in studying the distribution and evolution of matter in the universe. FRBs can only be observed through radio telescopes, which produce petabytes of data, rendering the search for FRB a challenging task. Traditional techniques are computationally expensive, time-consuming, and generally biased against weak signals. Various machine learning algorithms have been developed and employed, all of which require substantial datasets. We here introduce the FAST dataset for Fast Radio bursts EXploration (FAST-FREX), built upon the observations obtained by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Our dataset comprises 600 positive samples of observed FRB signals from three sources and 1000 negative samples of noise and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). Furthermore, we provide a machine learning algorithm, Radio Single-Pulse Detection Algorithm Based on Visual Morphological Features (RaSPDAM), with significant improvements in efficiency and accuracy for FRB search. We also employed the benchmark comparison between conventional single-pulse search softwares, namely PRESTO and Heimdall, and RaSPDAM. RaSPDAMv2 achieves an average precision of 97% and an average recall of 83%, with notable enhancements in computational performance. Future machine learning algorithms can use this as a reference point to measure their performance and help the potential improvements. By enabling more accurate and efficient detection of transient radio events, our work facilitates the FRB and pulsars search pipeline, enhances the potential for discovering new astrophysical phenomena.

astro-ph.IM↗

A narrowband burst from FRB 20190520B simultaneously observed by FAST and Parkes

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are short-duration radio transients with mysterious origins. Since its uncertainty, there are very few FRBs that are observed by different instruments, simultaneously. This study presents a detailed analysis of a burst from FRB 20190520B observed by FAST and Parkes at the same time. The spectrum of this individual burst ended at the upper limit of the FAST frequency band and was simultaneously detected by the Parkes telescope in the 1.5-1.8 GHz range. By employing spectral energy distribution (SED) and spectral sharpness methods, we confirmed the presence of narrowband radiation in FRB 20190520B, which is crucial for understanding its radiation mechanisms. Our findings support the narrowband characteristics that most repeaters exhibit. This work also highlights the necessity of continued multiband observations to explore its periodicity and frequency-dependent properties, contributing to an in-depth understanding of FRB phenomena.

astro-ph.HE↗

Do Multi-Structural One-Off FRBs Trace Similar Cosmology History with Repeaters?

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration transient events that are typically observed at radio wavelengths and cosmological distances but their origin remains unclear. Furthermore, most FRB origin models are related to the processes at stellar scales, involving neutron stars, blackholes, supernovae, etc. In this paper, our purpose is to determine whether multi-structural one-off FRBs and repeaters share similarities. To achieve this, we focus on analyzing the relationship between the FRB event rate and the star formation rate, complemented by statistical testing methods. Based on the CHIME/FRB Catalog 1, we calculate the energy functions for four subsamples, including apparent non-repeating FRBs (one-offs), repeaters, multi-structural one-offs, and the joint repeaters and multi-structural events, respectively. We then derive the FRB event rates at different redshifts for all four subsamples, all of which were found to share a similar cosmological evolution trend. However, we find that the multi-structural one-offs and repeaters are distinguishable from the KS and MWW tests.

astro-ph.HE↗

Multi-year Polarimetric Monitoring of Four CHIME-Discovered Repeating Fast Radio Bursts with FAST

In this study, we report multi-year polarization measurements of four repeating FRBs initially discovered by CHIME: FRBs~20190117A, 20190208A, 20190303A, and 20190417A. We observed the four repeating FRBs with FAST, detecting a total of 66 bursts. Two bursts from FRB~20190417A exhibit a circular polarization signal-to-noise ratio greater than 7, with the highest circular polarization fraction recorded at 35.7%. While the bursts from FRBs 20190208A and 20190303A are highly linearly polarized, those from FRBs~20190117A and 20190417A show depolarization due to multi-path propagation, with σ_{\mathrm{RM}} = 2.78 \pm 0.05 rad m$^{-2}$ and 5.19 \pm 0.09 rad m$^{-2}$, respectively. The linear polarization distributions among five repeating FRB--FRBs~20190208A, 20190303A, 20201124A, 20220912A, and 20240114A--are nearly identical but show distinct differences from those of non-repeating FRBs. FRBs~20190117A, 20190303A, and 20190417A exhibit substantial rotation measure (RM) variations between bursts, joining other repeating FRBs in this behavior. Combining these findings with published results, 64% of repeating FRBs show RM variations greater than 50 rad m$^{-2}$, and 21\% exhibit RM reversals. A significant proportion of repeating FRBs reside in a dynamic magneto-ionic environment. The structure function of RM variations shows a power-law index of $γ\sim (0-0.8)$, corresponding to a shallow power spectrum $α= -(γ+ 2) \sim -(2.0-2.8)$ of turbulence, if the RM variations are attributed to turbulence. This suggests that the variations are dominated by small-scale RM density fluctuations. We perform K-S tests comparing the RMs of repeating and non-repeating FRBs, which reveal a marginal dichotomy in the distribution of their RMs.We caution that the observed dichotomy may be due to the small sample size and selection biases.

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Properties of the cores and filaments in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud and its L1688 hub-filament system

Analyzing filaments and cores in molecular clouds is key to understanding galactic star formation and its environmental dependence. This paper studies the properties and distribution of dense cores and filaments in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud, with a focus on the L1688 hub-filament system (HFS) and its star formation potential. We extracted sources and filaments from Herschel images and a 13.5 arcsec resolution surface density map using the getsf method, identified prestellar cores among the extracted sources, evaluated core mass segregation, and constructed the core mass function (CMF). We derived properties of the filaments from their radial surface density profiles, constructed the filament linear density function (FLDF), and assessed the mass distribution in the L1688 HFS to estimate the core and filament formation efficiencies (CFE, FFE). The results suggest that the filament-dominated core formation is a key mechanism in star formation within the system.

astro-ph.GA↗

Polarization Position Angle Swing and the Rotating Vector Model of Repeating Fast Radio Bursts

Fast radio bursts (FRBs), typically highly polarized, usually have a nearly constant polarization position angle (PA) during each burst. Some bursts show significant PA variations, and one of them was claimed to have a PA variation pattern consistent with the prediction of the rotating vector model (RVM) commonly adopted to fit the PA variations in radio pulsars. We systematically study the PA evolution pattern of 1727 bursts from three active repeating FRB sources monitored by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST). We identify 46 bursts whose PA variations are fully consistent with the RVM. However, the inferred geometrical parameters and rotation periods derived from these RVM fitting are inconsistent from each other. This suggests that the magnetosphere of the FRB central engine is constantly distorted by the FRB emitter, and the magnetic configuration is dynamically evolving.

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New constraints on the values of the fundamental constants at a look-back time of 7.3 Gyr

The study of redshifted spectral lines can provide a measure of the fundamental constants over large look-back times. Current grand unified theories predict an evolution in these constants and astronomical observations offer the only experimental measure of the values of the constants over large timescales. Of particular interest are the dimensionless constants: the fine structure constant ($α$), the proton-electron mass ratio ($μ$), and the proton g-factor ($g_p$), since these do not require a "standard meterstick". Here we present a re-analysis of the 18 cm hydroxyl (OH) lines at $z=0.89$, which were recently detected with the MeerKAT telescope, toward the radio source PKS\,1830-211. Utilizing the previous constraint of $Δμ/μ=(-1.8\pm1.2)\times10^{-7}$, we obtain $Δ(αg_p^{0.27})/(αg_p^{0.27})\lesssim5.7\times10^{-5}$, $Δα/α\lesssim2.3\times10^{-3}$ , and $Δg_p/g_p\lesssim7.9\times10^{-3}$. These new constraints are consistent with no evolution over a look-back time of 7.3 Gyr and provide another valuable data point in the putative evolution of the constants.

astro-ph.CO↗

Hyper-active repeating fast radio bursts from rotation modulated starquakes on magnetars

The non-detection of periodicity related to rotation challenges magnetar models for fast radio bursts (FRBs) with FRB emission from close to the magnetar surface. Moreover, a bimodal distribution of the burst waiting times is widely observed in hyper-active FRBs, a significant deviation from the exponential distribution expected from stationary Poisson processes. By combining the epidemic-type aftershock sequence (ETAS) earthquake model and the rotating vector model (RVM) involving the rotation of the magnetar and orientations of the spin and magnetic axes, we find that starquake events modulated by the rotation of FRB-emitting magnetar can explain the bimodal distribution of FRB waiting times, as well as the non-detection of periodicity in hyper-active repeating FRBs. We analyze data from multiple FRB sources, demonstrating that differences in waiting time distributions and, to some extent, observed energies can be explained by varying parameters related to geometric properties of the magnetar FRB emission and starquake dynamics. Our results show that the assumption that all FRBs are repeaters is compatible with our model. Notably, we find that hyper-active repeaters tend to have small magnetic inclination angles in order to hide their periodicity. We also show that our model can reproduce the waiting time distribution of a pulsar phase of the galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154 with a larger inclination angle than the hyper-active repeaters, which could explain the detection of spin period and the relatively low observed energy for FRBs from the magnetar. The spin periods of hyper-active repeaters are not well constrained, but most likely fall in the valley region between the two peaks of the waiting time distributions.

astro-ph.HE↗

Why is the Star Formation Rate Proportional to Dense Gas Mass?

One of the most profound empirical laws of star formation is the Gao-Solomon relation, a linear correlation between the star formation rate (SFR) and the dense molecular gas mass. It is puzzling how the complicated physics in star-formation results in this surprisingly simple proportionality. Using archival Herschel and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Observations, we derived the masses of the most massive cores ($M^{\rm max}_{\rm core}$) and masses of the gravitationally bound gas ($ M_{\rm gas}^{\rm bound}$) in the parent molecular clouds for a sample of low-mass and high-mass star-forming regions. We discovered a significant correlation $\log(M^{\rm max}_{\rm core}/M_{\odot}) = 0.506 \log(M_{\rm gas}^{\rm bound}/M_{\odot})-0.32$. Our discovered $M^{\rm max}_{\rm core}$-$M_{\rm gas}^{\rm bound}$ correlation can be approximately converted to the Gao-Solomon relation if there is (1) a constant 30% efficiency of converting $M^{\rm max}_{\rm core}$ to the mass of the most massive star ($m^{\rm max}_{\rm star}$), and (2) if SFR and $m^{\rm max}_{\rm star}$ are tightly related through $\log({\rm SFR}/(M_{\odot} {\rm yr}^{-1})) = 2.04 \log(m^{\rm max}_{\rm star}/M_{\odot})-5.80$. Intriguingly, both requirements have been suggested by previous theoretical studies (c.f. Yan et al. 2017). Based on this result, we hypothesize that the Gao-Solomon relation is a consequence of combining the following three non-trivial relations (i) SFR vs. $m^{\rm max}_{\rm star}$, (ii) $m^{\rm max}_{\rm star}$ vs. $M^{\rm max}_{\rm core}$, and (iii) $M^{\rm max}_{\rm core}$ vs. $M_{\rm gas}^{\rm bound}$. This finding may open a new possibility to understand the Gao-Solomon relation in an analytic sense.

astro-ph.GA↗

Gravitationally Bound Gas Determines Star Formation in the Galaxy

Stars form from molecular gas under complex conditions influenced by multiple competing physical mechanisms, such as gravity, turbulence, and magnetic fields. However, accurately identifying the fraction of gas actively involved in star formation remains challenging. Using dust continuum observations from the Herschel Space Observatory, we derived column density maps and their associated probability distribution functions (N-PDFs). Assuming the power-law component in the N-PDFs corresponds to gravitationally bound (and thus star-forming) gas, we analyzed a diverse sample of molecular clouds spanning a wide range of mass and turbulence conditions. This sample included 21 molecular clouds from the solar neighborhood ($d<$500 pc) and 16 high-mass star-forming molecular clouds. For these two groups, we employed the counts of young stellar objects (YSOs) and mid-/far-infrared luminosities as proxies for star formation rates (SFR), respectively. Both groups revealed a tight linear correlation between the mass of gravitationally bound gas and the SFR, suggesting a universally constant star formation efficiency in the gravitationally bound gas phase. The star-forming gas mass derived from threshold column densities ($N_{\mbox {threshold}}$) varies from cloud to cloud and is widely distributed over the range of $\sim$1--17$\times$10$^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$ based on N-PDF analysis. But in solar neighborhood clouds, it is in rough consistency with the traditional approach using $A_{\rm V}$ $\ge$ 8 mag. In contrast, in high turbulent regions (e.g., the Central Molecular Zone) where the classical approach fails, the gravitationally bound gas mass and SFR still follow the same correlation as other high-mass star-forming regions in the Milky Way. Our findings also strongly support the interpretation that gas in the power-law component of the N-PDF is undergoing self-gravitational collapse to form stars.

astro-ph.GA↗

PANCAKE: Python bAsed Numerical Color-magnitude-diagram Analysis pacKagE

Stellar populations serve as a fossil record of galaxy formation and evolution, providing crucial information about the history of star formation and galaxy evolution. The color-magnitude diagram (CMD) stands out as the most accurate tool currently available for inferring the star formation histories (SFHs) of nearby galaxies with stellar-resolved multiband data. The launch of new space telescopes, including JWST, EUCLID, and the upcoming CSST and Roman, will significantly increase the number of stellar-resolved galaxies over the next decade. A user-friendly and customizable CMD fitting package would be valuable for galaxy evolution studies with these data. We develop an open-source Python-based package named \textsc{pancake}, which is fast and accurate in determining SFHs and stellar population parameters in nearby galaxies. We have validated our method via a series of comprehensive tests. First, \textsc{pancake} performs well on mock data, meanwhile the random and systematic uncertainties are quantified. Second, \textsc{pancake} performs well on observational data containing a star cluster and 38 dwarf galaxies (50 fields). Third, the star formation rate (SFR) from \textsc{pancake} is consistent with the SFR from FUV photometry. To ensure compatibility and accuracy, we have included isochrone libraries generated using PARSEC for most of the optical and near-infrared filters used in space telescopes such as HST, JWST, and the upcoming CSST.

astro-ph.GA↗

Polarization Characteristics of the Hyperactive FRB 20240114A

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are transient radio bursts of extragalactic origin characterized by millisecond durations and high luminosities. We report on observations of FRB 20240114A conducted with the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) at frequencies ranging from 720 to 920 MHz. A total of 437 bursts were detected, with a single observation recording 365 bursts over 1.38 hours, corresponding to a burst rate of 264 bursts per hour. The average rotation measures (RMs) were $347.0 \pm 1.0$ rad m$^{-2}$ on February 23, 2024, and $353.7 \pm 0.6$ rad m$^{-2}$ on March 1, 2024. Of the 301 bursts with detected RMs, 81% have a linear polarization fraction greater than 90%, and 14% exhibit circular polarization with a signal-to-noise ratio $> 5$. Our sample also displayed polarization angle swings. We compared the linear polarization fraction of FRB~20240114A with those of the repeating sources FRB~20201124A and FRB~20220912A. Our analysis reveals that all three exhibit similar distributions in both linear and circular polarization fractions. These results indicate that the three sources share the same radiation mechanism. We analyze the fluence and waiting-time distributions of FRB~20240114A, revealing a right-skewed fluence distribution and a bimodal waiting-time structure, suggesting intrinsic emission timescales and potential multiple burst populations. Additionally, We present a novel method to determine the frequency range of bursts based on their spectral characteristics. This algorithm is independent of spectral models and remains unaffected by the removal of interference-affected channels in the data, ensuring robust performance.

astro-ph.HE↗

The H2 Glow of a Quiescent Molecular Cloud Observed with JWST

We report JWST MIRI/MRS observations of the H2 S(1) 17.04 micron transition in two regions in the boundary of the Taurus Molecular Cloud. The two regions, denoted Edge (near the relatively sharp boundary of the 13CO J=1-0 emission) and Peak (the location of the strongest H2 emission observed with Spitzer), have average intensities of 14.5 MJy/sr and 32.1 MJy/sr, respectively. We find small scale structures of characteristic size 1.0 to 2.5 arcseconds, corresponding to 140 AU to 350 AU, with characteristic intensity above the extended background of 10 MJy/sr, corresponding to a J = 3 column density of 1.6x1017/cm2. The most plausible explanation for the observed intensities from level 845 K above the J = 1 ortho-H2 ground state level is excitation by collisions with H2 molecules (the hydrogen in this region being predominantly molecular). Two mechanisms, turbulent dissipation and shocks, have been proposed for heating of localized regions of the ISM to temperatures ~1000 K to explain abundances of and emission from particular molecules. While we cannot determine unique values of density and kinetic temperature, the solutions in best agreement with predictions of shock models are H2 density = 370 /cm3 and kinetic temperature = 1000 K. The total H2 column density of the small-scale structures under these conditions is ~8x1017/cm2. This first direct detection of heated tiny scale structure in the quiescent molecular interstellar medium has significant implications for the physical structure of this phase of the ISM and maintaining supersonic motions within it.

astro-ph.GA↗

Physical Properties and HI-to-H2 Transition Across Taurus Linear Edge

Studying the atomic-to-molecular transition is essential for understanding the evolution of interstellar medium. The linear edge of Taurus molecular cloud, clearly identified in the $^{13}$CO(1-0) intensity map, serves as an ideal site for investigating this transition. Utilizing the Arizona Radio Observatory Sub-Millimeter Telescope, we obtained mapping observations of CO(2-1), $^{13}$CO(2-1), and CO(3-2) across this linear edge. The intensity ratio between CO(2-1) and $^{13}$CO(2-1) indicates a lower limit of the $^{12}C/^{13}C$ ratio of $54\pm 17$. Based on multi-transition observations of CO and $^{13}$CO, we performed Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) fit of the physical properties across this edge using non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium analysis with the RADEX code, based on the Large velocity Gradient (LVG) assumption. The number density profile exhibits a pronounced jump coinciding with the H$_2$ infrared emission peak. The cold HI gas within the molecular cloud, manifested as HI-Narrow Self-Absorption (HINSA) features, is detected along the cloud edge. Our quantitative comparison with numerical simulations provides tentative evidence that shocks induced by colliding gas flows may contribute to the atomic-to-molecular phase transition observed along the linear edge.

astro-ph.GA↗

Imprints of Stellar Feedback on Magnetic Fields in the Iris Nebula NGC 7023

We present 850 $μ$m polarized continuum observations carried out with the POL-2 polarimeter mounted on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) towards NGC 7023 located in the Cepheus Flare region. NGC 7023 is a reflection nebula powered by a Herbig Ae Be star HD 200775 and also identified as a hub in the hub-filament cloud, LDN 1172/1174. We detect submillimetre emission well towards the northern (identified as C1) and the eastern region of the reflection nebula. We investigated the polarization structure and the magnetic field (B-field) morphology, which is found to be curved and follows the clump morphology. The comparison of the B-field morphology at the clump scales ($\sim$0.02 pc) with that of the envelope ($\sim$0.5 pc) suggests that the field lines are not preserved from envelope to clump scales, implying that an external factor may be responsible for disturbing the B-field structure. We estimated a magnetic field strength of 179$\pm$50 $μ$G in the starless core, 121$\pm$34 $μ$G in the protostellar core with a class I source and 150$\pm$42 $μ$G in the protostellar core with a class II source using the $N_{2}H^{+}$ (1-0) line observed with 13.7 m single dish radio telescope at Taeduk Radio Astronomy Observatory (TRAO). The stability analysis using these B-field strengths gives magnetically sub-critical values, while the magnetic, gravitational, and outflow kinetic energies are roughly balanced. We also suggest that the reordering of the magnetic field lines could be due to the interaction with the already evolved high-velocity outflow gas around the central star, which hints at the presence of outflow feedback.

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Simultaneous multi-wavelength observations of the repeating fast radio burst FRB 20190520B with Swift and FAST

Among several dozen known repeating Fast radio bursts (FRBs), those precisely localized offer the best opportunities to explore their multi-wavelength counterparts, which are key to uncovering their origins. Here we report our X-ray, ultraviolet (UV), and optical observations with the $Swift$ satellite of the repeating FRB 20190520B, in coordination with simultaneous radio observations with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Our aim was to detect potentially associated multi-wavelength bursts and identify any persistent multi-wavelength counterpart to the associated persistent radio source (PRS). While a total of 10 radio bursts were detected by FAST during the $Swift$ observations, we detected no X-ray, UV, or optical bursts in accompany with the radio bursts. We obtained the energy upper limits ($3σ$) on any multi-wavelength bursts as follows: $5.03 \times 10^{47}$ erg in the hard X-ray band (15--150 keV), $7.98 \times 10^{45}$ erg in the soft X-ray band (0.3--10 keV), and $4.51 \times 10^{44}$ erg in the U band (3465Å), respectively. The energy ratio between soft X-ray (0.3--10 keV) and radio emission of the bursts is constrained as $<6\times10^{7}$, and the ratio between optical (U band) and radio as $<1.19\times10^{6}$. We detect no multi-wavelength counterpart to the PRS. The 3$σ$ luminosity upper limits are 1.04$\times10^{47}$ (15--150 keV), 8.81$\times10^{42}$ (0.3--10 keV), 9.26$\times10^{42}$ (UVW1), and 2.54$\times10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$ (U), respectively. We show that the PRS is much more radio loud than representative pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants, extended jets of Galactic X-ray binaries, and ultraluminous X-ray sources, suggestive of boosted radio emission of the PRS.

astro-ph.HE↗

Ring or no ring -- Revisiting the Multiphase Nuclear Environment in M31

Nuclear rings, prevalent in barred galaxies, are essential to understanding gas transport toward galactic nuclei. However, the peculiar nuclear ring in our neighboring galaxy M31 remains poorly understood. Here we present a comprehensive study of this multiphase gas structure, originally revealed by its dust emission, based on newly acquired CO mappings and archival spectroscopic imaging of atomic hydrogen and warm ionized gas, along with custom numerical simulations. These multi-wavelength data offer an unprecedented view of the surface mass density and kinematics of the nuclear ring, challenging the notion of it being a single coherent structure. In particular, the ring shows significant asymmetry in its azimuthal mass distribution, with neutral gas concentrated in the northeast and ionized gas prominent in the southwest. The observed off-centered and lopsided morphology disfavors an interpretation of gas streamers or resonance rings driven solely by a barred potential known to exist in M31. Furthermore, the ring's line-of-sight velocity distribution suggests circular motion in a plane inclined by $\sim 30^\circ$ relative to M31's outer disk, implying external torque likely from M32's recent close-in passage. Our hydrodynamical simulations tracking the evolution of nuclear gas of M31 influenced by both a barred potential and an oblique collision with M32, reveal the natural formation of asymmetric spiral arms several hundred Myr after the collision, which could appear ring-like under appropriate viewing angles. Therefore, we suggest that M31's nuclear gas structure, instead of being a persisting rotating ring, comprises recently formed, asymmetric spirals with a substantial tilt.

astro-ph.GA↗

The HASHTAG project II. Giant molecular cloud properties across the M31 disc

We present a study of giant molecular cloud (GMC) properties in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) using CO(3-2) data from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in selected regions across the disc and in the nuclear ring, and comparing them with CO(1-0) observations from the IRAM 30m telescope in the same regions. We find that GMCs in the centre of M31 generally exhibit larger velocity dispersions ($σ$) and sizes ($R$) compared to those in the disc, while their average surface density ($Σ$) and turbulent pressure ($P_{\rm turb}$) are lower. This low turbulent pressure in the central region is primarily due to the low density of molecular gas. The estimated GMC properties depend on the choice of CO transitions. Compared to CO(1-0), CO(3-2) exhibits smaller velocity dispersion and equivalent radius but higher surface density. These differences highlight the distinct physical conditions probed by different molecular gas tracers. We estimate the virial parameter $α_{\rm vir}\propto σ^2 R/Σ$ and find that most molecular clouds exhibit high values ($α_{\rm vir} \sim 4-6$) for both CO transitions, indicating that they are unbound. Furthermore, clouds in the nuclear ring display even larger $α_{\rm vir}$ values of $\lesssim 100$, suggesting that they may be highly dynamic, short-lived structures, although they could potentially achieve equilibrium under the external pressure exerted by the surrounding interstellar medium.

astro-ph.GA↗