Gas Content of Markarian Starburst Galaxies

Abstract

The main results of this study can be summarized as follows: (a) The HI and CO linewidths are well correlated. Interaction between galaxies has little influence on the HI and CO line broadening. A rapidly rotating nuclear disk in the galaxy could lead to CO line broadening, while the HI line is less affected by the rotating disk. Molecular gas in Markarian galaxies is centrally concentrated, (b) For past and present star formation activity both HI and H2 components of the gas are important. The atomic and molecular gas surface densities are well correlated with blue, FIR, and radio continuum surface brightnesses, but the H₂ surface density is better correlated than that of the H I. The two gas phases are also connected. (c) In general, galaxies with UV-excess (Markarian galaxies) are not distinguished by star formation properties from non-UV galaxies, however some second order differences may exist, like the relation between atomic surface density and radio continuum surface brightness.