Description |
Molecular gas is difficult to detect from traditional millimeter CO transitionsin dwarf galaxies below a certain metallicity. Yet, there is evidence for lots ofmolecular H_2 in these galaxies. Fortunately, Photo-dissociation Regions are abetter tracer of the molecular material in low metallicity systems. In metal-poor galaxies, PDRs dominate the molecular core where CO is found, and in the current paradigm the PDR grows and the core shrinks as metallicity decreases.Thus, we expect critical differences in the molecular clouds of dwarfs compared to spirals, with the differences becoming more extreme with lower metallicity. Yet, understanding these differences and their consequences to star formation is essential to understanding the processes that drive star formation at low metallicities. Therefore, we propose to observe the PDRs in 5 regions in 5 typical metal-poor dwarf galaxies spanning a range in oxygen abundance. We will use these observations to characterize the molecular gas, examine the correspondence between the molecular clouds and the atomic gas and star formation characteristics, and determine the characteristics of the atomic ISM that are necessary for the formation of these dense molecular clouds. We will also test the molecular cloud structure paradigm as a function of metallicity. |