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Extended Molecular Gas Distribution In Mrk 273 And Merger-Luminosity Evolution, Min S. Yun, N Z. Scoville

Min S. Yun

We present the first interferometric measurement of CO emission (θ ~ 2'') from the ultraluminous infrared galaxy Mrk 273. A total H2 mass of 3.6 × 1010 Msun is inferred from the CO observations, half of which belongs to an extended component with deconvolved size 5.1 × 2.5 kpc. In addition, an unresolved molecular gas complex is found to be coincident with the optical nucleus. The inferred H2 mass, size (R ~ 380 pc), and mean surface mass density (ΣH2 ≥ 4 × 104 Msun pc-3) of this complex, as well as the IR luminosity, are very similar to those …