Kiloparsec-Scale Variations in the Star Formation Efficiency of Dense Gas: The Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/39)

Abstract

We study the relationship between dense gas and star formation in the Antennae galaxies by comparing Atacama large millimeter/submillimeter array (ALMA) observations of dense-gas tracers (HCN, HCO+, and HNC J = 1–0) with the total infrared luminosity (LTIR) calculated using data from the Herschel Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope. We compare the luminosities of our star formation rate (SFR) and gas tracers using aperture …