Related papers: Conversion Problems: How (Not) to Determine Molecu…
In the Milky Way and other main-sequence galaxies, stars form exclusively in molecular gas, which is traced by CO emission. However, low metallicity dwarf galaxies are often `CO-dark' in the sense that CO emission is not observable even at…
In this review, I discuss some highlights of recent research on molecular gas in galaxies; large-scale CO maps of nearby galaxies are being made, which extend our knowledge on global properties, radial gradients, and spiral structure of the…
Knowledge of the molecular component of the ISM is fundamental to understand star formation. The H2 component appears to dominate the gas mass in the inner parts of galaxies, while the HI component dominates in the outer parts. Observation…
We investigate the stellar populations and molecular gas properties of a star-forming region within the dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxy WLM. Low-metallicity dIrrs like WLM offer a valuable window into star formation in environments that are…
The conversion factor from carbon monoxide (CO) intensity to molecular gas mass is a source of large uncertainty in understanding gas and its relation to star formation in galaxies. In particular, the conversion factor in low metallicity…
We investigate the process of galaxy formation as can be observed in the only currently forming galaxies -- the so-called Tidal Dwarf Galaxies, hereafter TDGs -- through observations of the molecular gas detected via its CO (Carbon…
We present results from an extensive survey of molecular gas in nearby dwarf galaxies. This survey consists of a single-dish search for CO emission at the UASO Kitt Peak 12m telescope and interferometric follow-up using the…
[Abridged...] We investigate the process of galaxy formation as can be observed in the only currently forming galaxies -- the so-called Tidal Dwarf Galaxies, hereafter TDGs -- through observations of the molecular gas detected via its CO…
The apparent lack of cold molecular gas in blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies is at variance with their intense star-formation episode. The CO molecule, often used a tracer of H2 through a conversion function, is selectively photodissociated…
The molecular gas content of local early-type galaxies is constrained and discussed in relation to their evolution. First, as part of the Atlas3D survey, we present the first complete, large (260 objects), volume-limited single-dish survey…
Low-metallicity dwarf galaxies often show no or little CO emission, despite the intense star formation observed in local samples. Both simulations and resolved observations indicate that molecular gas in low-metallicity galaxies may reside…
Recent observations indicate that star formation occurs only in the molecular phase of a galaxy's interstellar medium. A realistic treatment of star formation in simulations and analytic models of galaxies therefore requires that one…
Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDGs) are objects presently forming from gas which has been expelled from their parent galaxies during an interaction. We observed the CO emission of a sample of 11 TDGs, of which 8 were detected. The CO is found at…
We present $^{12}$CO(1-0) and $^{12}$CO(2-1) observations of a sample of 20 star-forming dwarfs selected from the Herschel Virgo Cluster Survey, with oxygen abundances ranging from 12 + log(O/H) ~ 8.1 to 8.8. CO emission is observed in ten…
The observed star formation rate of the Milky Way can be explained by applying a metallicity-dependent factor to convert CO luminosity to molecular gas mass and a star formation efficiency per free-fall time that depends on the virial…
We present the detection of molecular gas using CO(1-0) line emission and follow up Halpha imaging observations of galaxies located in nearby voids. The CO(1-0) observations were done using the 45m telescope of the Nobeyama Radio…
Constraints on the molecular gas content of galaxies at high redshift are crucial to further our understanding of star formation and galaxy evolution through cosmic times, as molecular gas is the fuel for star formation. Since its initial…
In many gravitational interactions between galaxies, gas and stars that have been torn from either or both of the precursor galaxies can collect in 'tidal tails'. Star formation begins anew in these regions to produce 'tidal dwarf…
The concordance cosmological model based on cold dark matter makes definitive predictions for the growth of galaxies in the Universe, which are being actively studied using numerical simulations. These predictions appear to contradict the…
The conversion factor $\alpha_{\rm CO}$ from the observable CO(1-0) luminosity to the mass of molecular gas is known to vary between isolated galaxies and some mergers, but the underlying reasons are not clearly understood. Thus, the…