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This study analyses JWST MIRI/MRS observations of the infrared (IR) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) bands in the nuclear (∼0.4″ at 11 μm; ∼75 pc) and circumnuclear regions (inner ∼kpc) of local active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from the Galactic Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS). We examine the PAH properties in the circumnuclear regions of AGNs and the projected direction of AGN-outflows and compare them to those in star-forming regions and the innermost regions of AGNs. This study employs 4.9–28.1 μm sub-arcsecond angular resolution data to investigate the properties of PAHs in three nearby sources (DL ∼ 30 − 40 Mpc). Our findings are aligned with previous JWST studies, demonstrating that the central regions of AGNs display a larger fraction of neutral PAH molecules (i.e. elevated 11.3/6.2 and 11.3/7.7 μm PAH ratios) in comparison to star-forming galaxies. We find that AGNs might affect not only the PAH population in the innermost region, but also in the extended regions up to ∼kpc scales. By comparing our observations to PAH diagnostic diagrams, we find that, in general, regions located in the projected direction of the AGN-outflow occupy similar positions on the PAH diagnostic diagrams as those of the innermost regions of AGNs. Star-forming regions that are not affected by the AGNs in these galaxies share the same part of the diagram as star-forming galaxies. We also examined the potential of the PAH-H2 diagram to disentangle AGN-versus-star-forming activity. Our results suggest that in Seyfert-like AGNs, the illumination and feedback from the AGN might affect the PAH population at nuclear and kpc scales, particularly with respect to the ionisation state of the PAH grains. However, PAH molecular sizes are rather similar. The carriers of the ionised PAH bands (6.2 and 7.7 μm) are less resilient than those of neutral PAH bands (11.3 μm), which might be particularly important for strongly AGN-host coupled systems. Therefore, caution must be applied when using PAH bands as star-formation rate indicators in these systems even at kpc scales, with the effects of the AGN being more important for ionised ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present observations of the type-2 Seyfert NGC 7172 obtained with the medium-resolution spectrometer (MRS) of the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This galaxy hosts one of the lowest ionised gas mass outflow rates (Ṁout ∼ 0.005 M⊙ yr−1) in a sample of six active galactic nuclei (AGN) with similar bolometric luminosities (log Lbol ∼ 44 erg s−1) within the Galactic Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS). We aim to understand the properties of the ionised gas outflow and its impact on the host galaxy. We mainly used the ionised gas emission lines from the neon transitions, which cover a broad range of ionisation potentials (IPs) from ∼20 eV to ∼130 eV. We applied parametric and non-parametric methods to characterise the line emission and kinematics. The low excitation lines (IP < 25 eV, e.g. [Ne II]) trace the rotating disc emission. The high excitation lines (IP > 90 eV, e.g. [Ne V]), which are likely photoionised exclusively by the AGN, are expanding in the direction nearly perpendicular to the disc of the galaxy, with maximum projected velocities in the range of ∼350–500 km s−1. In particular, [Ne V] and [Ne VI] lines reveal a biconical ionised gas outflow emerging north-south from the nuclear region, extending at least ∼2.5″ N and 3.8″ S (projected distance of ∼450 and 680 pc, respectively). Most of the emission arising in the northern part of the cone was not previously detected due to obscuration. Given the almost face-on orientation of the outflow and the almost edge-on orientation of the galaxy, NGC 7172 may be a case of weak coupling. Nevertheless, we found evidence of positive feedback in two distinct outflowing clumps at projected distances of 3.1″ and 4.3″ (i.e. ∼560 and 780 pc) south-west of the AGN. We estimated a star formation rate in these regions using the [Ne II] and [Ne III] luminosities of 0.08 M⊙ yr−1, which is ∼10% of that found in the circumnuclear ring. The star formation activity might have been triggered by the interaction between the ionised gas outflow and the interstellar medium of the galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze JWST/NIRSpec observations of the CO rovibrational υ = 1−0 band at ~4.67 µm around the dust-embedded southern active galactic nucleus (AGN) of NGC 3256 (d = 40 Mpc; LIR = 1011.6L⊙). We classify the CO υ = 1−0 spectra into three categories based on the behavior of P- and R-branches of the band: (a) both branches in absorption toward the nucleus; (b) P-R asymmetry (P-branch in emission and R-branch in absorption) along the disk of the galaxy; and (c) both branches in emission in the outflow region above and below the disk. In this paper, we focus on the outflow. The CO υ = 1−0 emission can be explained by the vibrational excitation of CO in the molecular outflow by the bright mid-IR ~4.7 µm continuum from the AGN up to r ~ 250 pc. We model the ratios between the P(J+2) and R(J) transitions of the band to derive the physical properties (column density, kinetic temperature, and CO-to-H2 conversion factor, αCO) of the outflowing gas. We find that the 12CO υ = 1−0 emission is optically thick for J < 4, while the 13CO υ = 1−0 emission remains optically thin. From the P(2)/R(0) ratio, we identify a temperature gradient in the outflow from >40 K in the central 100 pc to <15 K at 250 pc, sampling the cooling of the molecular gas in the outflow. We used three methods to derive αCO in eight 100 pc (0″.5) apertures in the outflow by fitting the P(J+2)/R(J) ratios with nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) models. We obtain low median αCO factors (0.40 - 0.61) × 3.2×10-4/[CO/H2] M⊙ (K km s-1 pc2)-1 in the outflow regions. This implies that outflow rates and energetics might be overestimated if a 1.3−2 times larger ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) like αCO is assumed. The reduced αCO can be explained if the outflowing molecular clouds are not virialized. We also report the first extragalactic detection of a broad (σ = 0.0091 µm) spectral feature at 4.645 µm associated with aliphatic deuterium on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Dn-PAHs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new HCN and HCO+ (J = 3-2) images of the nearby star-forming galaxies (SFGs) NGC 3351, NGC 3627, and NGC 4321. The observations, obtained with the Morita ALMA Compact Array, have a spatial resolution of ~290-440 pc and resolve the inner Rgal. 0:6-1 kpc of the targets, as well as the southern bar end of NGC 3627. We complement this data set with publicly available images of lower excitation lines of HCN, HCO+, and CO and analyse the behaviour of a representative set of line ratios: HCN(3-2)/HCN(1-0), HCN(3-2)/HCO+(3-2), HCN(1-0)/CO(2-1), and HCN(3-2)/CO(2-1). Most of these ratios peak at the galaxy centres and decrease outwards. We compare the HCN and HCO+ observations with a grid of one-phase, non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) radiative transfer models and find them compatible with models that predict subthermally excited and optically thick lines. We study the systematic variations of the line ratios across the targets as a function of the stellar surface density (±star), the intensity-weighted CO(2-1) (hICOi), and the star formation rate surface density (±SFR). We find no apparent correlation with ±SFR, but positive correlations with the other two parameters, which are stronger in the case of hICOi. The HCN/CO-hICOi relations show .0.3 dex galaxy-to-galaxy offsets, with HCN(3-2)/CO(2-1)-hICOi being ~2 times steeper than HCN(1-0)/CO(2-1). In contrast, the HCN(3-2)/HCN(1-0)-hICOi relation exhibits a tighter alignment between galaxies. We conclude that the overall behaviour of the line ratios cannot be ascribed to variations in a single excitation parameter (e.g., density or temperature). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the impact of radio jets on the interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies hosting active galactic nuclei (AGN), we present subarcsecond-resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) CO(2-1) and CO(3-2) observations of the Teacup galaxy. This is a nearby (DL = 388 Mpc) radio-quiet type-2 quasar (QSO2) with a compact radio jet (Pjet ≈ 1043 erg s−1) that subtends a small angle from the molecular gas disc. Enhanced emission line widths perpendicular to the jet orientation have been reported for several nearby AGN for the ionised gas. For the molecular gas in the Teacup, not only do we find this enhancement in the velocity dispersion but also a higher brightness temperature ratio (T32/T21) perpendicular to the radio jet compared to the ratios found in the galaxy disc. Our results and the comparison with simulations suggest that the radio jet is compressing and accelerating the molecular gas, and driving a lateral outflow that shows enhanced velocity dispersion and higher gas excitation. These results provide further evidence that the coupling between the jet and the ISM is relevant to AGN feedback even in the case of radio-quiet galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Molecular line ratios, such as HCN(1−0)/HCO+(1−0) and HCN(4−3)/CS(7−6), are routinely used to identify active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity in galaxies. Such ratios are, however, hard to interpret as they are highly dependent on the physics and energetics of the gas, and hence can seldom be used as a unique, unambiguous diagnostic. Aims. We used the composite galaxy NGC 1068 as a "laboratory" to investigate whether molecular line ratios between HCN, HCO+, and CS are useful tracers of AGN-dominated gas and determine the origin of the differences in such ratios across different types of gas. Such a determination will enable a more rigorous use of such ratios. Methods. First, we empirically examined the aforementioned ratios at different angular resolutions to quantify correlations. We then used local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE analyses coupled with Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling in order to determine the origin of the underlying differences in ratios. Results. We propose that at high spatial resolution (< 50 pc) the HCN(4−3)/CS(2−1) is a reliable tracer of AGN activity. We also find that the variations in ratios are not a consequence of different densities or temperature but of different fractional abundances, yielding to the important result that it is essential to consider the chemical processes at play when drawing conclusions from radiative transfer calculations. Conclusions. From analyses at varying spatial scales, we find that previously proposed molecular line ratios, as well as a new one, have varying levels of consistency. We also determine from an investigation of radiative transfer modelling of our data that it is essential to consider the chemistry of the species when reaching conclusions from radiative transfer calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used high-spatial resolution (70 pc; 0 . ″ $ {{\overset{\prime\prime}{.}}} $ 3) CO multi-transition (J = 1–0, 2–1, 4–3, and 6–5) ALMA data to study the physical conditions and kinematics of the cold molecular outflow in the local luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) ESO 320-G030 (d = 48 Mpc, LIR/L⊙ = 1011.3). ESO 320-G030 is a double-barred isolated spiral, but its compact and obscured nuclear starburst (SFR ∼ 15 M⊙ yr−1; AV ∼ 40 mag) resembles those of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (LIR/L⊙ > 1012). In the outflow, the CO(1–0)/CO(2–1) ratio is enhanced with respect to the rest of the galaxy and the CO(4–3) transition is undetected. This indicates that the outflowing molecular gas is less excited than the molecular gas in the nuclear starburst (i.e., outflow launching site) and in the galaxy disk. Non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative transfer modeling reveals that the properties of the molecular clouds in the outflow differ from those of the nuclear and disk clouds: The kinetic temperature is lower (Tkin ∼ 9 K) in the outflow, and the outflowing clouds have lower column densities. Assuming a 10−4 CO abundance, the large internal velocity gradients, 60 −45+250 − 45 + 250 $ ^{+250}_{-45} $ km s−1 pc−1, imply that the outflowing molecular clouds are not bound by self-gravity. All this suggests that the life-cycle (formation, collapse, dissipation) of the galaxy disk molecular clouds might differ from that of the outflowing molecular clouds which might not be able to form stars. The low kinetic temperature of the molecular outflow remains constant at radial distances between 0.3 and 1.7 kpc. This indicates that the heating by the hotter ionized outflow phase is not efficient and may favor the survival of the molecular gas phase in the outflow. The spatially resolved velocity structure of the outflow shows a 0.8 km s−1 pc−1 velocity gradient between 190 pc and 560 pc and then a constant maximum outflow velocity of about 700–800 km s−1 up to 1.7 kpc. This could be compatible with a pure gravitational evolution of the outflow, which would require coupled variations of the mass outflow rate and the outflow launching velocity distribution. Alternatively, a combination of ram pressure acceleration and cloud evaporation could explain the observed kinematics and the total size of the cold molecular phase of the outflow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active galactic nucleus (AGN) driven outflows are believed to play an important role in regulating the growth of galaxies, mostly via negative feedback. However, their effects on their hosts are far from clear, especially for low- and moderate-luminosity Seyferts. To investigate this issue, we obtained cold molecular gas observations, traced by the CO(2-1) transition, using the NOEMA interferometer of five nearby (distances between 19 and 58 Mpc) Seyfert galaxies. The resolution of ∼0.3–0.8 (∼30–100 pc) and field of view of NOEMA allowed us to study the CO(2-1) morphology and kinematics in the nuclear regions (∼100 pc) and up to radial distances of ∼900 pc. We detected CO(2-1) emission in all five galaxies with disky or circumnuclear ring-like morphologies. We derived cold molecular gas masses on nuclear (∼100 pc) and circumnuclear (∼650 pc) scales in the range from 106 to 107 M⊙ and from 107 to 108 M⊙, respectively. In all of our galaxies, the bulk of this gas is rotating in the plane of the galaxy. However, noncircular motions are also present. In NGC 4253, NGC 4388, and NGC 7465, we can ascribe the streaming motions to the presence of a large-scale bar. In Mrk 1066 and NGC 4388, the noncircular motions in the nuclear regions are explained as outflowing material due to the interaction of the AGN wind with molecular gas in the galaxy disk. We conclude that for an unambiguous and precise interpretation of the kinematics of the cold molecular gas, we need detailed knowledge of the host galaxy (i.e., presence of bars, interactions, etc.), and also of the ionized gas kinematics and ionization cone geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Understanding the dominant heating mechanism in the nuclei of galaxies is crucial to understanding star formation in starbursts (SBs), active galactic nuclei (AGN) phenomena, and the relationship between star formation and AGN activity in galaxies. Analysis of the carbon monoxide (12CO) rotational ladder versus the infrared continuum emission (hereafter, 12CO/IR) in galaxies with different types of activity reveals important differences between them. Aims. We aim to carry out a comprehensive study of the nearby composite AGN-SB galaxy, NGC 4945, using spectroscopic and photometric data from the Herschel satellite. In particular, we want to characterize the thermal structure in this galaxy using a multi-transition analysis of the spatial distribution of the 12CO emission at different spatial scales. We also want to establish the dominant heating mechanism at work in the inner region of this object at smaller spatial scales (≲200 pc). Methods. We present far-infrared (FIR) and sub-millimeter (sub-mm) 12CO line maps and single spectra (from Jup = 3 to 20) using the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI), the Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS), and the Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE) onboard Herschel, and the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX). We combined the 12CO/IR flux ratios and the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) analysis of the 12CO images to derive the thermal structure of the interstellar medium (ISM) for spatial scales raging from ≲200 pc to 2 kpc. In addition, we also present single spectra of low- (12CO, 13CO and [CI]) and high-density (HCN, HNC, HCO+, CS and CH) molecular gas tracers obtained with APEX and HIFI applying LTE and non-LTE (NLTE) analyses. Furthermore, the spectral energy distribution of the continuum emission from the FIR to sub-mm wavelengths is also presented. Results. From the NLTE analysis of the low- and high-density tracers, we derive gas volume densities (103–106 cm−3) for NGC 4945 that are similar to those found in other galaxies with different types of activity. From the 12CO analysis we find a clear trend in the distribution of the derived temperatures and the 12CO/IR ratios. It is remarkable that at intermediate scales (360 pc–1 kpc, or 19″–57″) we see large temperatures in the direction of the X-ray outflow while at smaller scales (≲200 pc–360 pc, or ∼9″–19″), the highest temperature, derived from the high-J lines, is not found toward the nucleus but toward the galaxy plane. The thermal structure derived from the 12CO multi-transition analysis suggests that mechanical heating, like shocks or turbulence, dominates the heating of the ISM in the nucleus of NGC4945 located beyond 100 pc (≳5″) from the center of the galaxy. This result is further supported by published models, which are able to reproduce the emission observed at high-J (PACS) 12CO transitions when mechanical heating mechanisms are included. Shocks and/or turbulence are likely produced by the barred potential and the outflow observed in X–rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We derive molecular-gas-phase 12C/13C isotope ratios for the central few hundred parsecs of the three nearby starburst galaxies NGC 253, NGC 1068, and NGC 4945 making use of the λ ∼ 3 mm 12CN and 13CN N = 1–0 lines in the ALMA Band 3. The 12C/13C isotopic ratios derived from the ratios of these lines range from 30 to 67 with an average of 41.6 ± 0.2 in NGC 253, from 24 to 62 with an average of 38.3 ± 0.4 in NGC 1068, and from 6 to 44 with an average of 16.9 ± 0.3 in NGC 4945. The highest 12C/13C isotopic ratios are determined in some of the outskirts of the nuclear regions of the three starburst galaxies. The lowest ratios are associated with the northeastern and southwestern molecular peaks of NGC 253, the northeastern and southwestern edge of the mapped region in NGC 1068, and the very center of NGC 4945. In the case of NGC 1068, the measured ratios suggest inflow from the outer part of NGC 1068 into the circum-nuclear disk through both the halo and the bar. Low 12C/13C isotopic ratios in the central regions of these starburst galaxies indicate the presence of highly processed material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. High-mass stars and star clusters commonly form within hub-filament systems. Monoceros R2 (hereafter Mon R2), at a distance of 830 pc, harbors one of the closest of these systems, making it an excellent target for case studies. Aims. We investigate the morphology, stability and dynamical properties of the Mon R2 hub-filament system. Methods. We employed observations of the 13CO and C18O 1 →0 and 2 →1 lines obtained with the IRAM-30 m telescope. We also used H2 column density maps derived from Herschel dust emission observations. Results. We identified the filamentary network in Mon R2 with the DisPerSE algorithm and characterized the individual filaments as either main (converging into the hub) or secondary (converging to a main filament). The main filaments have line masses of 30–100 M⊙ pc−1 and show signs of fragmentation, while the secondary filaments have line masses of 12–60 M⊙ pc−1 and show fragmentation only sporadically. In the context of Ostriker's hydrostatic filament model, the main filaments are thermally supercritical. If non-thermal motions are included, most of them are transcritical. Most of the secondary filaments are roughly transcritical regardless of whether non-thermal motions are included or not. From the morphology and kinematics of the main filaments, we estimate a mass accretion rate of 10−4–10−3M⊙ yr−1 into the central hub. The secondary filaments accrete into the main filaments at a rate of 0.1–0.4 × 10−4M⊙ yr−1. The main filaments extend into the central hub. Their velocity gradients increase toward the hub, suggesting acceleration of the gas. We estimate that with the observed infall velocity, the mass-doubling time of the hub is ~2.5 Myr, ten times longer than the free-fall time, suggesting a dynamically old region. These timescales are comparable with the chemical age of the HII region. Inside the hub, the main filaments show a ring- or a spiral-like morphology that exhibits rotation and infall motions. One possible explanation for the morphology is that gas is falling into the central cluster following a spiral-like pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution (0.​​″03–0.​​″09 (9–26 pc)) ALMA (100–350 GHz (λ3 to 0.8 mm)) and (0.​​″04 (11 pc)) VLA 45 GHz measurements have been used to image continuum and spectral line emission from the inner (100 pc) region of the nearby infrared luminous galaxy IC 860. We detect compact (r ∼ 10 pc), luminous, 3 to 0.8 mm continuum emission in the core of IC 860, with brightness temperatures TB >  160 K. The 45 GHz continuum is equally compact but significantly fainter in flux. We suggest that the 3 to 0.8 mm continuum emerges from hot dust with radius r ∼ 8 pc and temperature Td ∼ 280 K, and that it is opaque at millimetre wavelengths, implying a very large H2 column density N(H2)≳1026 cm−2. Vibrationally excited lines of HCN ν2 = 1f J = 4 − 3 and 3–2 (HCN-VIB) are seen in emission and spatially resolved on scales of 40–50 pc. The line-to-continuum ratio drops towards the inner r = 4 pc, resulting in a ring-like morphology. This may be due to high opacities and matching HCN-VIB excitation- and continuum temperatures. The HCN-VIB emission reveals a north–south nuclear velocity gradient with projected rotation velocities of ν = 100 km s−1 at r = 10 pc. The brightest emission is oriented perpendicular to the velocity gradient, with a peak HCN-VIB 3–2 TB of 115 K (above the continuum). Vibrational ground-state lines of HCN 3–2 and 4–3, HC15N 4–3, HCO+ 3–2 and 4–3, and CS 7–6 show complex line absorption and emission features towards the dusty nucleus. Redshifted, reversed P-Cygni profiles are seen for HCN and HCO+ consistent with gas inflow with νin ≲ 50 km s−1. Foreground absorption structures outline the flow, and can be traced from the north-east into the nucleus. In contrast, CS 7–6 has blueshifted line profiles with line wings extending out to −180 km s−1. We suggest that a dense and slow outflow is hidden behind a foreground layer of obscuring, inflowing gas. The centre of IC 860 is in a phase of rapid evolution where an inflow is building up a massive nuclear column density of gas and dust that feeds star formation and/or AGN activity. The slow, dense outflow may be signaling the onset of feedback. The inner, r = 10 pc, IR luminosity may be powered by an AGN or a compact starburst, which then would likely require a top-heavy initial mass function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GEMS is an IRAM 30 m Large Program whose aim is determining the elemental depletions and the ionization fraction in a set of prototypical star-forming regions. This paper presents the first results from the prototypical dark cloud Taurus molecular cloud (TMC) 1. Extensive millimeter observations have been carried out with the IRAM 30 m telescope (3 and 2 mm) and the 40 m Yebes telescope (1.3 cm and 7 mm) to determine the fractional abundances of CO, HCO+, HCN, CS, SO, HCS+, and N2H+ in three cuts which intersect the dense filament at the well-known positions TMC 1-CP, TMC 1-NH3, and TMC 1-C, covering a visual extinction range from AV ~ 3 to ~20 mag. Two phases with differentiated chemistry can be distinguished: (i) the translucent envelope with molecular hydrogen densities of 1−5 × 103 cm−3; and (ii) the dense phase, located at AV > 10 mag, with molecular hydrogen densities >104 cm−3. Observations and modeling show that the gas phase abundances of C and O progressively decrease along the C+/C/CO transition zone (AV ~ 3 mag) where C/H ~ 8 × 10−5 and C/O ~ 0.8−1, until the beginning of the dense phase at AV ~ 10 mag. This is consistent with the grain temperatures being below the CO evaporation temperature in this region. In the case of sulfur, a strong depletion should occur before the translucent phase where we estimate an S∕H ~ (0.4−2.2) × 10−6, an abundance ~7–40 times lower than the solar value. A second strong depletion must be present during the formation of the thick icy mantles to achieve the values of S/H measured in the dense cold cores (S∕H ~ 8 × 10−8). Based on our chemical modeling, we constrain the value of ζH2 $\zeta_{\textrm{H}_2}$ ζ H 2 to ~(0.5–1.8) × 10−16 s−1 in the translucent cloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Understanding the nuclear growth and feedback processes in galaxies requires investigating their often obscured central regions. One way to do this is to use (sub)millimeter line emission from vibrationally excited HCN (HCN-vib), which is thought to trace warm and highly enshrouded galaxy nuclei. It has been suggested that the most intense HCN-vib emission from a galaxy is connected to a phase of nuclear growth that occurs before the nuclear feedback processes have been fully developed. Aims. We aim to investigate if there is a connection between the presence of strong HCN-vib emission and the development of feedback in (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs). Methods. We collected literature and archival data to compare the luminosities of rotational lines of HCN-vib, normalized to the total infrared luminosity, to the median velocities of 119 μm OH absorption lines, potentially indicating outflows, in a total of 17 (U)LIRGs. Results. The most HCN-vib luminous systems all lack signatures of significant molecular outflows in the far-infrared OH absorption lines. However, at least some of the systems with bright HCN-vib emission have fast and collimated outflows that can be seen in spectral lines at longer wavelengths, including in millimeter emission lines of CO and HCN (in its vibrational ground state) and in radio absorption lines of OH. Conclusions. We conclude that the galaxy nuclei with the highest LHCN − vib/LIR do not drive wide-angle outflows that are detectable using the median velocities of far-infrared OH absorption lines. This is possibly because of an orientation effect in which sources oriented in such a way that their outflows are not along our line of sight also radiate a smaller proportion of their infrared luminosity in our direction. It could also be that massive wide-angle outflows destroy the deeply embedded regions responsible for bright HCN-vib emission, so that the two phenomena cannot coexist. This would strengthen the idea that vibrationally excited HCN traces a heavily obscured stage of evolution before nuclear feedback mechanisms are fully developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to characterise the properties of the molecular gas in the ultra-luminous infrared galaxy Mrk 273 and its outflow, we used the NOEMA interferometer to image the dense-gas molecular tracers HCN, HCO+, HNC, HOC+ and HC3N at ∼86 GHz and ∼256 GHz with angular resolutions of 4ʺ̣9 × 4ʺ̣5 (∼3.7 × 3.4 kpc) and 0ʺ̣61 × 0ʺ̣55 (∼460 × 420 pc). We also modelled the flux of several H2O lines observed with Herschel using a radiative transfer code that includes excitation by collisions and far-infrared photons. The disc of the Mrk 273 north nucleus has two components with decoupled kinematics. The gas in the outer parts (R ∼ 1.5 kpc) rotates with a south-east to north-west direction, while in the inner disc (R ∼ 300 pc) follows a north-east to south-west rotation. The central 300 pc, which hosts a compact starburst region, is filled with dense and warm gas, and contains a dynamical mass of (4 −5) × 109 M⊙, a luminosity of L′HCN = (3–4) × 108 K km s−1 pc2, and a dust temperature of 55 K. At the very centre, a compact core with R ∼ 50 pc has a luminosity of LIR = 4 × 1011 L⊙ (30% of the total infrared luminosity), and a dust temperature of 95 K. The core is expanding at low velocities ∼50–100 km s−1, probably affected by the outflowing gas. We detect the blue-shifted component of the outflow, while the red-shifted counterpart remains undetected in our data. Its cold and dense phase reaches fast velocities up to ∼1000 km s−1, while the warm outflowing gas has more moderate maximum velocities of ∼600 km s−1. The outflow is compact, being detected as far as 460 pc from the centre in the northern direction, and has a mass of dense gas ≤8 × 108 M⊙. The difference between the position angles of the inner disc (∼70°) and the outflow (∼10°) indicates that the outflow is likely powered by the AGN, and not by the starburst. Regarding the chemistry in Mrk 273, we measure an extremely low HCO+/HOC+ ratio of 10 ± 5 in the inner disc of Mrk 273. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NGC 4945 is one of the nearest (D ≈ 3.8 Mpc; 1″ ≈ 19 pc) starburst galaxies. To investigate the structure, dynamics, and composition of the dense nuclear gas of this galaxy, ALMA band 3 (λ ≈ 3−4 mm) observations were carried out with ≈2″ resolution. Three HCN and two HCO+ isotopologues, CS, C3H2, SiO, HCO, and CH3C2H were measured. Spectral line imaging demonstrates the presence of a rotating nuclear disk of projected size 10″ × 2″ reaching out to a galactocentric radius of r ≈ 100 pc with position angle PA = 45° ± 2°, inclination i = 75° ± 2° and an unresolved bright central core of size ≲2″. The continuum source, representing mostly free-free radiation from star forming regions, is more compact than the nuclear disk by a linear factor of two but shows the same position angle and is centered 0.′′39 ± 0.′′14 northeast of the nuclear accretion disk defined by H2O maser emission. Near the systemic velocity but outside the nuclear disk, both HCN J = 1 → 0 and CS J = 2 → 1 delineate molecular arms of length ≳15″ (≳285 pc) on opposite sides of the dynamical center. These are connected by a (deprojected) ≈ 0.6 kpc sized molecular bridge, likely a dense gaseous bar seen almost ends-on, shifting gas from the front and back side into the nuclear disk. Modeling this nuclear disk located farther inside (r ≲100 pc) with tilted rings provides a good fit by inferring a coplanar outflow reaching a characteristic deprojected velocity of ≈50 km s−1. All our molecular lines, with the notable exception of CH3 C2H, show significant absorption near the systemic velocity (≈571 km s−1), within the range ≈500–660 km s−1. Apparently, only molecular transitions with low critical H2 density (ncrit ≲ 104 cm−3) do not show absorption. The velocity field of the nuclear disk, derived from CH3 C2H, provides evidence for rigid rotation in the inner few arcseconds and a dynamical mass of Mtot = (2.1 ± 0.2) × 108 M⊙ inside a galactocentric radius of 2.′′45 (≈45 pc), with a significantly flattened rotation curve farther out. Velocity integrated line intensity maps with most pronounced absorption show molecular peak positions up to ≈1.′′5 (≈30 pc) southwest of the continuum peak, presumably due to absorption, which appears to be most severe slightly northeast of the nuclear maser disk. A nitrogen isotope ratio of 14N/15N ≈ 200–450 is estimated. This range of values is much higher then previously reported on a tentative basis. Therefore, because 15N is less abundant than expected, the question for strong 15N enrichment by massive star ejecta in starbursts still remains to be settled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the molecular component of the interstellar medium (ISM) in metal-poor galaxies has been challenging because of the faintness of carbon monoxide emission, the most common proxy of H2. Here we present new detections of molecular gas at low metallicities, and assess the physical conditions in the gas through various CO transitions for 8 galaxies. For one, NGC 1140 (Z/Z⊙ ~ 0.3), two detections of 13CO isotopologues and atomic carbon, [Ci](1–0) and an upper limit for HCN(1–0) are also reported. After correcting to a common beam size, we compared 12CO(2–1)/12CO(1–0) (R21) and 12CO(3–2)/12CO(1–0) (R31) line ratios of our sample with galaxies from the literature and find that only NGC 1140 shows extreme values (R21 ~ R31 ~ 2). Fitting physical models to the 12CO and 13CO emission in NGC 1140 suggests that the molecular gas is cool (kinetic temperature Tkin ≲ 20 K), dense (H2 volume density nH2 ≳ 106 cm-3), with moderate CO column density (NCO ~ 1016 cm-2) and low filling factor. Surprisingly, the [12CO]/[13CO] abundance ratio in NGC 1140 is very low (~8−20), lower even than the value of 24 found in the Galactic Center. The young age of the starburst in NGC 1140 precludes 13CO enrichment from evolved intermediate-mass stars; instead we attribute the low ratio to charge-exchange reactions and fractionation, because of the enhanced efficiency of these processes in cool gas at moderate column densities. Fitting physical models to 12CO and [Ci](1–0) emission in NGC 1140 gives an unusually low [12CO]/[12C] abundance ratio, suggesting that in this galaxy atomic carbon is at least 10 times more abundant than 12CO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Extragalactic observations of water emission can provide valuable insight into the excitation of the interstellar medium. In particular they allow us to investigate the excitation mechanisms in obscured nuclei, that is, whether an active galactic nucleus or a starburst dominates. Methods: We use subarcsecond resolution observations to tackle the nature of the water emission in Arp 220. ALMA Band 5 science verification observations of the 183 GHz H2O313-220 line, in conjunction with new ALMA Band 7 H2O515-422 data at 325 GHz, and supplementary 22 GHz H2O616-523 VLA observations, are used to better constrain the parameter space in the excitation modeling of the water lines. Results: We detect 183 GHz H2O and 325 GHz water emission toward the two compact nuclei at the center of Arp 220, being brighter in Arp 220West. The emission at these two frequencies is compared to previous single-dish data and does not show evidence of variability. The 183 and 325 GHz lines show similar spectra and kinematics, but the 22 GHz profile is significantly different in both nuclei due to a blend with an NH3 absorption line. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the most likely scenario to cause the observed water emission in Arp 220 is a large number of independent masers originating from numerous star-forming regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first detection of the ortho-H2O 423 - 330 transition at 448 GHz in space. We observed this transition in the local (z = 0.010) luminous infrared (IR) galaxy ESO 320-G030 (IRAS F11506-3851) using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The water 423 - 330 emission, which originates in the highly obscured nucleus of this galaxy, is spatially resolved over a region of ~65 pc in diameter and shows a regular rotation pattern compatible with the global molecular and ionized gas kinematics. The line profile is symmetric and well fitted by a Gaussian with an integrated flux of 37.0 ± 0.7 Jy km s-1. Models predict this water transition as a potential collisionally excited maser transition. On the contrary, in this galaxy, we find that the 423 - 330 emission is primarily excited by the intense far-IR radiation field present in its nucleus. According to our modeling, this transition is a probe of deeply buried galaxy nuclei thanks to the high dust optical depths (t100µm> 1, NH> 1024 cm-2) required to efficiently excite it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We present and compare the distribution of two shock tracers, SiO and HNCO, in the circumnuclear disk (CND) of NGC1068. We aim to determine the causes of the variation in emission across the CND. Methods. SiO(3-2) and HNCO(6-5) emission has been imaged in NGC1068 with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI). We perform an LTE and RADEX analysis to determine the column densities and physical characteristics of the gas emitting these two lines. We then use a chemical model to determine the origin of the emission. Results. There is a strong SiO peak to the east of the AGN, with weak detections to the west. This distribution contrasts that of HNCO, which is detected more strongly to the west. The SiO emission peak in the east is similar to the peak of the molecular gas mass traced by CO. HNCO emission is o set from this peak by as much as ~80 pc (⩽1"). We compare velocity integrated line ratios in the east and west. We confirm that SiO emission strongly dominates in the east, while the reverse is true in the west. We use RADEX to analyse the possible gas conditions that could produce such emission. We find that, in both east and west, we cannot constrain a single temperature for the gas. We run a grid of chemical models of potential shock processes in the CND and find that SiO is significantly enhanced during a fast (60 km s-1) shock but not during a slow (20 km s-1) shock, nor in a gas not subjected to shocks at all. We find the inverse for HNCO, whose abundance increases during slow shocks and in warm non-shocked gas. Conclusions. High SiO and low HNCO indicated a fast shock, while high HNCO and low SiO indicates either a slow shock or warm, dense, non-shocked gas. The East Knot is therefore likely to contain gas that is heavily shocked. From chemical modelling, gas in the West Knot may be non-shocked, or maybe undergoing a much milder shock event. When taking into account RADEX results, the milder shock event is the more likely of the two scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze new high spatial resolution (~60 pc) ALMA CO(2−1) observations of the isolated luminous infrared galaxy ESO 320-G030 (d = 48 Mpc) in combination with ancillary Hubble Space Telescope optical and near infrared (IR) imaging, as well as VLT/SINFONI near-IR integral field spectroscopy. We detect a high-velocity (~450 km s-1) spatially resolved (size~2.5 kpc; dynamical time ~3 Myr) massive (~107 M⊙; Ṁ ~ 2−8 M⊙ yr-1) molecular outflow that has originated in the central ~250 pc. We observe a clumpy structure in the outflowing cold molecular gas with clump sizes between 60 and 150 pc and masses between 105.5 and 106.4 M⊙. The mass of the clumps decreases with increasing distance, while the velocity is approximately constant. Therefore, both the momentum and kinetic energy of the clumps decrease outwards. In the innermost (~100 pc) part of the outflow, we measure a hot-to-cold molecular gas ratio of 7 × 10-5, which is similar to that measured in other resolved molecular outflows. We do not find evidence of an ionized phase in this outflow. The nuclear IR and radio properties are compatible with strong and highly obscured star-formation (Ak ~ 4.6 mag; star formation rate ~ 15 M⊙ yr-1). We do not find any evidence for the presence of an active galactic nucleus. We estimate that supernova explosions in the nuclear starburst (νSN ~ 0.2 yr-1) can power the observed molecular outflow. The kinetic energy and radial momentum of the cold molecular phase of the outflow correspond to about 2% and 20%, respectively, of the supernovae output. The cold molecular outflow velocity is lower than the escape velocity, so the gas will likely return to the galaxy disk. The mass loading factor is ~0.1−0.5, so the negative feedback owing to this star-formation-powered molecular outflow is probably limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The origin of the enormous luminosities of the two opaque nuclei of Arp 220, the prototypical ultra-luminous infrared galaxy, remains a mystery because we lack observational tools to explore the innermost regions around the nuclei. Aims. We explore the potential of imaging vibrationally excited molecular emission at high angular resolution to better understand the morphology and physical structure of the dense gas in Arp 220 and to gain insight into the nature of the nuclear powering sources. Methods. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) provided simultaneous observations of HCN, HCO+, and vibrationally excited HCN v2 = 1f emission. Their J = 4–3 and 3–2 transitions were observed at a matching resolution of ~0.5′′, which allows us to isolate the emission from the two nuclei. Results. The HCN and HCO+ lines within the ground-vibrational state poorly describe the central ~100 pc region around the nuclei because there are strong effects of cool absorbing gas in the foreground and severe line blending that is due to the prolific molecular emission of Arp 220. Vibrationally excited emission of HCN is detected in both nuclei with a very high ratio relative to the total LFIR, higher than in any other observed galaxy and well above what is observed in Galactic hot cores. HCN v2 = 1f is observed to be marginally resolved in ~60 × 50 pc regions inside the dusty ~100 pc sized nuclear cores. Its emission is centered on our derived individual nuclear velocities based on HCO+ emission (VWN = 5342 ± 4 and VEN = 5454 ± 8 km s-1, for the western and eastern nucleus, respectively). With virial masses within r ~ 25–30 pc based on the HCN v2 = 1f line widths, we estimate gas surface densities (gas fraction fg = 0.1) of 3 ± 0.3 × 104 M⊙ pc-2 (WN) and 1.1 ± 0.1 × 104 M⊙ pc-2 (EN). The 4−3/3−2 flux density ratio could be consistent with optically thick emission, which would further constrain the size of the emitting region to >15 pc (EN) and >22 pc (WN). The absorption systems that may hide up to 70% of the HCN and HCO+ emission are found at velocities of −50 km s-1 (EN) and 6, −140, and −575 km s-1 (WN) relative to velocities of the nuclei. Blueshifted absorptions are the evidence of outflowing motions from both nuclei. Conclusions. Although vibrationally excited molecular transitions could also be affected by opacity, they may be our best tool to peer into the central few tens of parsecs around compact obscured nuclei like those of Arp 220. The bright vibrational emission implies the existence of a hot dust region radiatively pumping these transitions. We find evidence of a strong temperature gradient that would be responsible for both the HCN v2 pumping and the absorbed profiles from the vibrational ground state as a result of both continuum and self-absorption by cooler foreground gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With high resolution (0". 025 × 0". 018) ALMA CO 3-2 (345 GHz) observations of the nearby (D = 21 Mpc, 1" = 102 pc), extremely radio-quiet galaxy NGC 1377, we have discovered a high-velocity, very collimated nuclear outflow which we interpret as a molecular jet with a projected length of ±150 pc. The launch region is unresolved and lies inside a radius r < 10 pc. Along the jet axis we find strong velocity reversals where the projected velocity swings from -150 km s-1 to +150 km s-1 . A simple model of a molecular jet precessing around an axis close to the plane of the sky can reproduce the observations. The velocity of the outflowing gas is difficult to constrain due to the velocity reversals but we estimate it to be between 240 and 850 km s-1 and the jet to precess with a period P = 0.3-1.1 Myr. The CO emission is clumpy along the jet and the total molecular mass in the high-velocity (±(60 to 150 km s-1 )) gas lies between 2 × 106 M๏ (light jet) and 2 × 107 M๏ (massive jet). There is also CO emission extending along the minor axis of NGC 1377. It holds >40% of the flux in NGC 1377 and may be a slower, wide-angle molecular outflow which is partially entrained by the molecular jet. We discuss the driving mechanism of the molecular jet and suggest that it is either powered by a (faint) radio jet or by an accretion disk-wind similar to those found towards protostars. It seems unlikely that a massive jet could have been driven out by the current level of nuclear activity which should then have undergone rapid quenching. The light jet would only have expelled 10% of the inner gas and may facilitate nuclear activity instead of suppressing it. The nucleus of NGC 1377 harbours intense embedded activity and we detect emission from vibrationally excited HCN J = 4-3 ν2 = 1 f which is consistent with hot gas and dust. We find large columns of H2 in the centre of NGC 1377 which may be a sign of a high rate of recent gas infall. The dynamical age of the molecular jet is short (<1 Myr), which could imply that it is young and consistent with the notion that NGC 1377 is caught in a transient phase of its evolution. However, further studies are required to determine the age of the molecular jet, its mass and the role it is playing in the growth of the nucleus of NGC 1377. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Galaxy evolution scenarios predict that the feedback of star formation and nuclear activity (AGN) can drive the transformation of gas-rich spiral mergers into (ultra) luminous infrared galaxies and, eventually, lead to the build-up of QSO/elliptical hosts. Aims. We study the role that star formation and AGN feedback have in launching and maintaining the molecular outflows in two starburst-dominated advanced mergers, NGC 1614 (DL = 66 Mpc) and IRAS 17208-0014 (DL = 181 Mpc), by analyzing the distribution and kinematics of their molecular gas reservoirs. Both galaxies present evidence of outflows in other phases of their ISM. Methods. We used the Plateau de Bure interferometer (PdBI) to image the CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) line emissions in NGC 1614 and IRAS 17208-0014, respectively, with high spatial resolution (0".5-1."2). The velocity fields of the gas were analyzed and modeled to find the evidence of molecular outflows in these sources and characterize the mass, momentum, and energy of these components. Results. While most (⩾95%) of the CO emission stems from spatially resolved (∼2-3 kpc-diameter) rotating disks, we also detect in both mergers the emission from high-velocity line wings that extend up to ±500-700 km s-1, well beyond the estimated virial range associated with rotation and turbulence. The kinematic major axis of the line-wing emission is tilted by ∼90° in NGC 1614 and by ∼180° in IRAS 17208-0014 relative to the major axes of their respective rotating disks. These results can be explained by the existence of non-coplanar molecular outflows in both systems: the outflow axis is nearly perpendicular to the rotating disk in NGC 1614, but it is tilted relative to the angular momentum axis of the rotating disk in IRAS 17208-0014. Conclusions. In stark contrast to NGC 1614, where star formation alone can drive its molecular outflow, the mass, energy, and momentum budget requirements of the molecular outflow in IRAS 17208-0014 can be best accounted for by the existence of a so far undetected (hidden) AGN of LAGN ∼7 × 1011 L⊙. The geometry of the molecular outflow in IRAS 17208-0014 suggests that the outflow is launched by a non-coplanar disk that may be associated with a buried AGN in the western nucleus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. M 82 is one of the nearest and brightest starburst galaxies. It has been extensively studied in the past decade and by now is considered the prototypical extragalactic photon-dominated region (PDR) and a reference for studying star formation feedback. Aims. Our aim is to characterize the molecular chemistry in M 82 at spatial scales of giant molecular clouds (GMCs), ~100 pc, to investigate the feedback effects of the star formation activity. Methods. We present interferometric observations of the CN 1 → 0 (113.491 GHz), N2H+1 → 0 (93.173 GHz), H(41)α (92.034 GHz), CH3CN (91.987 GHz), CS 3 → 2 (146.969 GHz), c-C3H2 31,2 → 22,1 (145.089 GHz), H2CO 20,2 → 10,1 (145.603 GHz), and HC3N 16 → 15 (145.601 GHz) lines carried out with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI). PDR chemical modeling was used to interpret these observations. Results. Our results show that the abundances of N2H+, CS and H13CO+ remain quite constant across the galaxy, confirming that these species are excellent tracers of the dense molecular gas. In contrast, the abundance of CN increases by a factor of ~3 in the inner x2 bar orbits. The [CN]/[N2H+] ratio is well correlated with the H(41)α emission at all spatial scales down to ~100 pc. Chemical modeling shows that the variations in the [CN]/[N2H+] ratio can be explained as the consequence of differences in the local intestellar UV field and in the average cloud sizes within the nucleus of the galaxy. Conclusions. Our high spatial resolution imaging of the starburst galaxy M 82 shows that the star formation activity has a strong impact on the chemistry of the molecular gas. In particular, the entire nucleus behaves as a giant PDR whose chemistry is determined by the local UV flux. The detection of N2H+ shows the existence of a population of clouds with Av> 20 mag all across the galaxy plane. These clouds constitute the molecular gas reservoir for the formation of new stars and, although it is distributed throughout the nucleus, the highest concentration occurs in the outer x1 bar orbits (R ~ 280 pc). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We present a detailed analysis of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Bands 7 and 9 data of CO, HCO+, HCN, and CS, augmented with Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) data of the ∼200 pc circumnuclear disc (CND) and the ∼1.3 kpc starburst ring (SB ring) of NGC 1068, a nearby (D = 14 Mpc) Seyfert 2 barred galaxy.We aim to determine the physical characteristics of the dense gas present in the CND, and to establish whether the different line intensity ratios we find within the CND, as well as between the CND and the SB ring, are due to excitation effects (gas density and temperature differences) or to a different chemistry. Methods. We estimate the column densities of each species in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). We then compute large one-dimensional, non-LTE radiative transfer grids (using RADEX) by using only the CO transitions first, and then all the available molecules to constrain the densities, temperatures, and column densities within the CND. We finally present a preliminary set of chemical models to determine the origin of the gas. Results. We find that, in general, the gas in the CND is very dense (>105 cm-3) and hot (T > 150 K), with differences especially in the temperature across the CND. The AGN position has the lowest CO/HCO+, CO/HCN, and CO/CS column density ratios. The RADEX analyses seem to indicate that there is chemical differentiation across the CND. We also find differences between the chemistry of the SB ring and some regions of the CND; the SB ring is also much colder and less dense than the CND. Chemical modelling does not succeed in reproducing all the molecular ratios with one model per region, suggesting the presence of multi-gas phase components. Conclusions. The LTE, RADEX, and chemical analyses all indicate that more than one gas-phase component is necessary to uniquely fit all the available molecular ratios within the CND. A higher number of molecular transitions at the ALMA resolution is necessary to determine quantitatively the physical and chemical characteristics of these components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report ALMA observations of CO(3-2) emission in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 1566, at a spatial resolution of 25 pc. Our aim is to investigate the morphology and dynamics of the gas inside the central kpc, and to probe nuclear fueling and feedback phenomena. NGC 1566 has a nuclear bar of 1.7 kpc radius and a conspicuous grand design spiral starting from this radius. The ALMA field of view, of diameter 0.9 kpc, lies well inside the nuclear bar and reveals a molecular trailing spiral structure from 50 to 300 pc in size, which is contributing to fuel the nucleus, according to its negative gravity torques. The spiral starts with a large pitch angle from the center and then winds up in a pseudo-ring at the inner Lindblad resonance (ILR) of the nuclear bar. This is the first time that a trailing spiral structure is clearly seen driving the gas inwards inside the ILR ring of the nuclear bar. This phenomenon shows that the massive central black hole has a significant dynamical influence on the gas, triggering its fueling. The gaseous spiral is well correlated with the dusty spiral seen through extinction in HST images, and also with a spiral feature emitting 0.87 mm continuum. This continuum emission must come essentially from cold dust heated by the interstellar radiation field. The HCN(4-3) and HCO+(4-3) lines were simultaneously mapped and detected in the nuclear spiral. The HCO+(4-3) line is 3 times stronger than the HCN(4-3), as expected when star formation excitation dominates over active galactic nucleus (AGN) heating. The CO(3-2)/HCO+(4-3) integrated intensity ratio is ~100. The molecular gas is in remarkably regular rotation, with only slight non-circular motions at the periphery of the nuclear spiral arms. These perturbations are quite small, and no outflow nor AGN feedback is detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first results of an ALMA spectral survey of strong absorption lines for common interstellar species in the z = 0.89 molecular absorber toward the lensed blazar PKS?1830-211. The dataset brings essential information on the structure and composition of the absorbing gas in the foreground galaxy. In particular, we find absorption over large velocity intervals (?100?km?s-1) toward both lensed images of the blazar. This suggests either that the galaxy inclination is intermediate and that we sample velocity gradients or streaming motions in the disk plane, that the molecular gas has a large vertical distribution or extraplanar components, or that the absorber is not a simple spiral galaxy but might be a merger system. The number of detected species is now reaching a total of 42 different species plus 14 different rare isotopologues toward the SW image, and 14 species toward the NE line-of-sight. The abundances of CH, H2O, HCO+, HCN, and NH3 relative to H2 are found to be comparable to those in the Galactic diffuse medium. Of all the lines detected so far toward PKS?1830-211, the ground-state line of ortho-water has the deepest absorption. We argue that ground-state lines of water have the best potential for detecting diffuse molecular gas in absorption at high redshift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new results of CO(1–0) spectroscopic observations of four Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) type 2 quasars (QSO2) at z ∼ 0.3, observed with the 30-m IRAM radio telescope. The QSO2 have infrared luminosities in the ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRG) regime. We confirm the CO(1–0) detection in one of our four QSO2, SDSS J1543-00, with L'CO and MH2 (1.2 ± 0.2) × 1010 Kkms−1 pc2 and (9.4 ± 1.4) × 109 M⊙, respectively. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the CO(1–0) line is =575 ± 102 km s−1. No CO(1–0) emission is detected in SDSS J0903+02, SDSS J1337-01, SDSS J1520-01 above 3 sigma, yielding upper limits on M(H2) ∼ 9.6, 4.3 and 5.1× 109 M⊙, respectively. We expand previous studies of the molecular gas content of intermediate z QSO2 into the ULIRG regime. Taking into account nine QSO2 at z ∼ 0.3–1.0 from the literature, we discuss the location of the 13 ULIRG QSO2 at z < 1 with available L'CO measurements in the L'CO vs. z and L'CO vs. LFIR diagrams, in comparison with other QSO1 and ULIRG star forming samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios are excellent measures of nuclear processing, but few such data have been taken toward extragalactic targets so far. Therefore, using the IRAM 30-m telescope, CN and CO isotopologues have been measured toward the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 and the prototypical ultraluminous infrared galaxy Mrk 231. Toward the center of NGC 253, the CN and 13CN N = 1 → 0 lines indicate no significant deviations from expected local thermodynamical equilibrium after accounting for moderate saturation effects (10 and 25%) in the two detected spectral components of the main species. Including calibration uncertainties, which dominate the error budget, the 12C/13C ratio becomes 40 ± 10. This is larger than the ratio in the central molecular zone of the Galaxy, suggesting a higher infall rate of poorly processed gas toward the central region. Assuming that the ratio also holds for the CO emitting gas, this yields 16O/18O = 145 ± 36 and 16O/17O = 1290 ± 365 and a 32S/34S ratio close to the one measured for the local interstellar medium (20–25). No indication of vibrationally excited CN is found in the lower frequency fine structure components of the N = 1 → 0 and 2 → 1 transitions at rms noise levels of 3 and 4mK (15 and 20mJy) in 8.5km s−1 wide channels. Peak line intensity ratios between NGC 253 and Mrk 231 are ∼100 for 12C16O and 12C18O J = 1 → 0, while the ratio for 13C16O J = 1 → 0 is ∼250. This and similar 13CO and C18O line intensities in the J = 1 → 0 and 2 → 1 transitions of Mrk 231 suggest 12C/13C ∼ 100 and 16O/18O ∼ 100, in agreement with values obtained for the less evolved ultraluminous merger Arp 220. Also, when accounting for other (scarcely available) extragalactic data, 12C/13C ratios appear to vary over a full order of magnitude, from >100 in ultraluminous high redshift galaxies to ∼100 in more local such galaxies to ∼40 in weaker starbursts that are not undergoing a large scale merger to 25 in the central molecular zone of the Milky Way. With 12C being predominantly synthesized in massive stars, while 13C is mostly ejected by longer lived lower mass stars at later times, this is qualitatively consistent with our results of decreasing carbon isotope ratios with time and rising metallicity. It is emphasized, however, that both infall of poorly processed material, initiating a nuclear starburst, and the ejecta from newly formed massive stars (in particular in the case of a top-heavy stellar initial mass function) can raise the carbon isotope ratio for a limited amount of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Powerful radio galaxies show evidence of ongoing active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback, mainly in the form of fast, massive outflows. But it is not clear how these outflows affect the star formation of their hosts. Aims. We investigate the different manifestations of AGN feedback in the evolved, powerful radio source 3C 293 and their impact on the molecular gas of its host galaxy, which harbors young star-forming regions and fast outflows of Hi and ionized gas. Methods. We study the distribution and kinematics of the molecular gas of 3C 293 using high spatial resolution observations of the 12CO(1-0) and 12CO(2-1) lines, and the 3 mm and 1 continuum taken with the IRAMPlateau de Bure interferometer.We mapped the molecular gas of 3C 293 and compared it with the dust and star-formation images of the host. We searched for signatures of outflow motions in the CO kinematics, and re-examined the evidence of outflowing gas in the Hi spectra. We also derived the star formation rate (SFR) and star formation efficiency (SFE) of the host with all available SFR tracers from the literature, and compared them with the SFE of young and evolved radio galaxies and normal star-forming galaxies. Results. The 12CO(1-0) emission line shows that the molecular gas in 3C 293 is distributed along a massive (M(H2) ∼2.2 × 1010 M☉) ∼24"(21 kpc-) diameter warped disk, that rotates around the AGN. Our data show that the dust and the star formation are clearly associated with the CO disk. The 12CO(2-1) emission is located in the inner 7 kpc (diameter) region around the AGN, coincident with the inner part of the 12CO(1-0) disk. Both the 12CO(1-0) and 12CO(2-1) spectra reveal the presence of an absorber against the central regions of 3C 293 that is associated with the disk. We do not detect any fast (≳500 km s-1) outflow motions in the cold molecular gas. The host of 3C 293 shows an SFE consistent with the Kennicutt-Schmidt law of normal galaxies and young radio galaxies, and it is 10-50 times higher than the SFE estimated with the 7.7 μm PAH emission of evolved radio galaxies. Our results suggest that the apparently low SFE of evolved radio galaxies may be caused by an underestimation of the SFR and/or an overestimation of the molecular gas densities in these sources. Conclusions. The molecular gas of 3C 293, while not incompatible with a mild AGN-triggered flow, does not reach the high velocities (≳500 km s-1) observed in the Hi spectrum. We find no signatures of AGN feedback in the molecular gas of 3C 293. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the properties of massive, galactic-scale outflows of molecular gas and investigate their impact on galaxy evolution. We present new IRAMPdBI CO(1-0) observations of local ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) and quasar-hosts: a clear signature of massive and energetic molecular outflows, extending on kpc scales, is found in the CO(1-0) kinematics of four out of seven sources, with measured outflow rates of several 100 M☉ yr-1. We combine these new observations with data from the literature, and explore the nature and origin of massive molecular outflows within an extended sample of 19 local galaxies. We find that starburst-dominated galaxies have an outflow rate comparable to their star formation rate (SFR), or even higher by a factor of ∼2-4, implying that starbursts can indeed be effective in removing cold gas from galaxies. Nevertheless, our results suggest that the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) can boost the outflow rate by a large factor, which is found to increase with the LAGN/Lbol ratio. The gas depletion time scales due to molecular outflows are anti-correlated with the presence and luminosity of an AGN in these galaxies, and range from a few hundred million years in starburst galaxies down to just a few million years in galaxies hosting powerful AGNs. In quasar hosts, the depletion time scales due to the outflow are much shorter than the depletion time scales due to star formation. We estimate the outflow kinetic power and find that, for galaxies hosting powerful AGNs, it corresponds to about 5% of the AGN luminosity, as expected by models of AGN feedback. Moreover, we find that momentum rates of about 20 LAGN/c are common among the AGNdominated sources in our sample. For "pure" starburst galaxies, our data tentatively support models in which outflows are mostly momentum-driven by the radiation pressure from young stars onto dusty clouds. Overall, our results indicate that, although starbursts are effective in powering massive molecular outflows, the presence of an AGN may strongly enhance such outflows, and therefore have a profound feedback effect on the evolution of galaxies by efficiently removing fuel for star formation, hence quenching star formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Cycle 0 Band 7 observations of an extremely metal-poor dwarf starburst galaxy in the Local Universe, SBS 0335-052 (12 + log (O/H) ~ 7.2). With these observations, dust is detected at 870 μm (ALMA Band 7), but 87% of the flux in this band is due to free-free emission from the starburst. We have compiled a spectral energy distribution (SED) of SBS 0335-052 that spans almost 6 orders of magnitude in wavelength and fit it with a spherical dust shell heated by a single-age stellar population; the best-fit model gives a dust mass of (3.8 ± 0.6) × 104 M⊙. We have also constructed a SED including Herschel archival data for I Zw 18, another low-metallicity dwarf starburst (12 + log (O/H) ~ 7.17), and fit it with a similar model to obtain a dust mass of (3.4 ± 1.0) × 10² M⊙. It appears that for such low-metallicity dwarf galaxies, the ratio of their stellar mass to their dust mass is within the range of values found for spirals and other star-forming galaxies. However, compared with their atomic gas mass, the dust mass of SBS 0335-052 far exceeds the prediction of a linear trend of dust-to-gas mass ratio with metallicity, while I Zw 18 falls far below. We use gas scaling relations to assess a putative missing gas component in both galaxies and find that the missing, possibly molecular, gas in SBS 0335-052 is a factor of 6 times higher than the value inferred from the observed Hi column density; in I Zw 18 the missing component is much smaller. Finally, we constrain the H2 surface density conversion factor αCO with our upper limit for CO J = 3-2 line in SBS 0335-052, and find that this is consistent with a linear or even super-linear trend of increasing αCO with decreasing metallicity. Ultimately, despite their similarly low metallicity, the differences in gas and dust column densities in SBS 0335-052 and I Zw 18 suggest that metal abundance does not uniquely define star-formation processes. At some level, self-shielding and the survival of molecules may depend just as much on gas and dust column density as on metallicity. The effects of low metallicity may at least be partially compensated for by large column densities in the interstellar medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report ALMA observations of CO(3-2) emission in the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1433 at the unprecedented spatial resolution of 0".5= 24 pc. Our aim is to probe active galactic nucleus (AGN) feeding and feedback phenomena through the morphology and dynamics of the gas inside the central kpc. The galaxy NGC1433 is a strongly barred spiral with three resonant rings: one at the ultraharmonic resonance near corotation, and the others at the outer and inner Lindblad resonances (OLR and ILR). A nuclear bar of 400 pc radius is embedded in the large-scale primary bar. The CO map, which covers the whole nuclear region (nuclear bar and ring), reveals a nuclear gaseous spiral structure, inside the nuclear ring encircling the nuclear stellar bar. This gaseous spiral is well correlated with the dusty spiral seen in Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images. The nuclear spiral winds up in a pseudo-ring at ~200 pc radius, which might correspond to the inner ILR. Continuum emission is detected at 0.87 mm only at the very centre, and its origin is more likely thermal dust emission than non-thermal emission from the AGN. It might correspond to the molecular torus expected to exist in this Seyfert 2 galaxy. The HCN(4-3) and HCO+(4-3) lines were observed simultaneously, but only upper limits are derived, with a ratio to the CO(3-2) line lower than 1/60 at 3σ, indicating a relatively low abundance of very dense gas. The kinematics of the gas over the nuclear disk reveal rather regular rotation only slightly perturbed by streaming motions due to the spiral; the primary and secondary bars are too closely aligned with the galaxy major or minor axis to leave a signature in the projected velocities. Near the nucleus, there is an intense high-velocity CO emission feature redshifted to 200 kms-1 (if located in the plane), with a blue-shifted counterpart, at 2" (100 pc) from the centre. While the CO spectra are quite narrow in the centre, this wide component is interpreted as an outflow involving a molecular mass of 3.6 × 106 M☉ and a flow rate ~7 M☉/yr. The flow could be in part driven by the central star formation, but is mainly boosted by the AGN through its radio jets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After new observations of 39 galaxies at z ~ 0.6-1.0 obtained at the IRAM 30-m telescope, we present our full CO line survey covering the redshift range 0.2 < z < 1. Our aim is to determine the driving factors accounting for the steep decline in the star formation rate during this epoch. We study both the gas fraction, defined as Mgas/(Mgas + Mstar), and the star formation efficiency (SFE) defined by the ratio between far-infrared luminosity and molecular gas mass (LFIR/M(H2)), i.e. a measure for the inverse of the gas depletion time. The sources are selected to be ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs), with LFIR greater than 1012 L☉ and experiencing starbursts.When we adopt a standard ULIRG CO-to-H2 conversion factor, their molecular gas depletion time is less than 100 Myr. Our full survey has now filled the gap of CO observations in the 0.2 < z < 1 range covering almost half of cosmic history. The detection rate in the 0.6 < z < 1 interval is 38% (15 galaxies out of 39), compared to 60% for the 0.2 < z < 0.6 interval. The average CO luminosity is L'CO = 1.8×1010 K kms-1 pc2, corresponding to an average H2 mass of 1.45 × 1010 M☉. From observation of 7 galaxies in both CO(2-1) and CO(4-3), a high gas excitation has been derived; together with the dust mass estimation, this supports the choice of our low ULIRG conversion factor between CO luminosity and H2 for our sample sources. We find that both the gas fraction and the SFE significantly increase with redshift, by factors of 3 ± 1 from z = 0 to 1, and therefore both quantities play an important role and complement each other in cosmic star formation evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. There is growing observational evidence of active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback on the interstellar medium (ISM) of radio-quiet and radio-loud galaxies. While AGN feedback is expected to be more common at high-redshift objects, studying local universe galaxies helps to better characterize the different manifestations of AGN feedback. Aims. Molecular line observations can be used to quantify the mass and energy budget of the gas affected by AGN feedback. We study the emission of molecular gas in 3C 236, a Faranoff-Riley type 2 (FR II) radio source at z∼0.1, and search for the footprints of AGN feedback. The source 3C 236 shows signs of a reactivation of its AGN triggered by a recent minor merger episode. Observations have also previously identified an extreme Hi outflow in this source. Methods. The IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer (PdBI) was used to study the distribution and kinematics of molecular gas in 3C 236 by imaging with high spatial resolution (0.6″) the emission of the 2-1 line of 12CO in the nucleus of the galaxy. We searched for outflow signatures in the CO map. We also derived the star-formation rate (SFR) in 3C 236 using data available from the literature at UV, optical, and IR wavelengths, to determine the star-formation efficiency (SFE) of molecular gas. Results. The CO emission in 3C 236 comes from a spatially resolved ∼1.4″(2.6 kpc-) diameter disk characterized by a regular rotating pattern. Within the limits imposed by the sensitivity and velocity coverage of the CO data, we do not detect any outflow signatures in the cold molecular gas. The disk has a cold gas mass M(H2) ∼ 2.1 × 109 M⊙. Based on CO we determine a new value for the redshift of the source zCO = 0.09927± 0.0002. The similarity between the CO and H I profiles indicates that the deep H I absorption in 3C 236 can be accounted for by a rotating H I structure. This restricts the evidence of Hi outflow to only the most extreme velocities. In the light of the new redshift value, the analysis of the ionized gas kinematics reveals a fast (∼1000 km s-1) outflow. Outflow signatures in the CO emitting gas, are nevertheless absent in the warm molecular gas emission traced by infrared H2 lines. The SFE in 3C 236 is consistent with the value measured in normal galaxies, which follow the canonical Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) relation. This result, confirmed to hold in other young radio sources examined in this work, is in stark contrast with the SFE that is lower by a factor 10-50 that has been claimed to characterize evolved powerful radio galaxies. Conclusions. There are no signs of ongoing AGN feedback to the molecular ISM of 3C 236. The recent reactivation of the AGN in 3C 236 (about 105 yr ago) is a likely explanation for the early evolutionary status of its molecular disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We aim to better understand the emission of molecular tracers of the diffuse and dense gas in giant molecular clouds and the influence that metallicity, optical extinction, density, far-UV field, and star formation rate have on these tracers. Methods. Using the IRAM 30m telescope, we detected HCN, HCO+, 12CO, and 13CO in six GMCs along the major axis of M33 at a resolution of ∼114 pc and out to a radial distance of 3.4 kpc. Optical, far-infrared, and submillimeter data from Herschel and other observatories complement these observations. To interpret the observed molecular line emission, we created two grids of models of photon-dominated regions, one for solar and one for M33-type subsolar metallicity. Results. The observed HCO+/HCN line ratios range between 1.1 and 2.5. Similarly high ratios have been observed in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The HCN/CO ratio varies between 0.4% and 2.9% in the disk of M33. The 12CO/13CO line ratio varies between 9 and 15 similar to variations found in the diffuse gas and the centers of GMCs of the Milky Way. Stacking of all spectra allowed HNC and C2H to be detected. The resulting HCO+/HNC and HCN/HNC ratios of ∼8 and 6, respectively, lie at the high end of ratios observed in a large set of (ultra-)luminous infrared galaxies. HCN abundances are lower in the subsolar metallicity PDR models, while HCO+ abundances are enhanced. For HCN this effect is more pronounced at low optical extinctions. The observed HCO+/HCN and HCN/CO line ratios are naturally explained by subsolar PDR models of low optical extinctions between 4 and 10 mag and of moderate densities of n 3x 103-3x 104 cm-3, while the FUV field strength only has a small effect on the modeled line ratios. The line ratios are almost equally well reproduced by the solar-metallicity models, indicating that variations in metallicity only play a minor role in influencing these line ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Ultracompact (UC) Hii regions constitute one of the earliest phases in the formation of a massive star and are characterized by extreme physical conditions (G0 > 105 Habing field and n > 106 cm-3). The UC Hii Mon R2 is the closest example and an excellent target to study the chemistry in these complex regions. Aims. Our goal is to investigate the chemistry of the molecular gas around UC Hii Mon R2 and the variations caused by the different local physical conditions. Methods. We carried out 3 mm and 1 mm spectral surveys using the IRAM 30-m telescope towards three positions that represent different physical environments in Mon R2: (i) the ionization front (IF) at (0'', 0''), and two peaks in the molecular cloud; (ii) molecular Peak 1 (hereafterMP1) at the offset (+15'' , -15''); and (iii) molecular Peak 2 (hereafterMP2) at the farther offset (0'', 40''). In addition, we carried out extensive modeling to explain the chemical differences between the three observed regions. Results. We detected more than 30 different species (including isotopologues and deuterated compounds). In particular, we detected SO+ and C4H confirming that ultraviolet (UV) radiation plays an important role in the molecular chemistry of this region. In agreement with this interpretation, we detected the typical photo-dissociation region (PDR) molecules CN, HCN, HCO, C2H, and c-C3H2. There are chemical differences between the observed positions. While the IF and the MP1 have a chemistry similar to that found in high UV field and dense PDRs such as the Orion Bar, the MP2 is similar to lower UV/density PDRs such as the Horsehead nebula. Our chemical modeling supports this interpretation. In addition to the PDR-like species, we detected complex molecules such as CH3CN, H2CO, HC3N, CH3OH, and CH3C2H that are not usually found in PDRs. The sulfur compounds CS,HCS+, C2S, H2CS, SO, and SO2 and the deuterated species DCN and C2Dwere also identified. The origin of these complex species requires further study. The observed deuteration fractionations, [DCN]/[HCN] ∼ 0.03 and [C2D]/[C2H] ∼ 0.05, are among the highest in warm regions. Conclusions. Our results show that the high UV/dense PDRs have a different chemistry from the low UV case. Some abundance ratios such as [CO+]/[HCO+] or [HCO]/[HCO+] are good diagnostics for differentiating between them. In Mon R2, we have the two classes of PDRs, a high UV PDR towards the IF and the adjacent molecular bar, and a low-UV PDR, which extends towards the north-west following the border of the cloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We study the analogy between local luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (U/LIRGs) and high-z massive star forming galaxies (SFGs) by comparing their basic Hα structural characteristics, such as size and luminosity surface density, in an homogeneous way (i.e. same tracer, size definition, and similar physical scales). Methods. We use integral field spectroscopy (IFS) based Hα emission maps for a representative sample of 54 local U/LIRGs (66 galaxies) observed with INTEGRAL/WHT and VIMOS/VLT. From this initial sample, we select 26 objects with similar Hα luminosities (L(Hα)) to those of massive (i.e. M" ∼ 1010 M☉ or larger) SFGs at z ∼ 2, and observed on similar physical scales. We then directly compare the sizes, and luminosity (and SFR) surface densities of these local and high-z samples. Results. The size of the Hα emitting region in the local U/LIRGs that we study has a wide range of values, with r1/2(Hα) from 0.2 kpc to 7 kpc. However, about two-thirds of local U/LIRGs with Lir > 1011.4 L☉ have compact Hα emission (i.e. r1/2 < 2 kpc). The comparison sample of local U/LIRGs also contains a larger fraction (59%) of objects with compact Hα emission than the high-z sample (25%). This gives further support to the idea that for this luminosity range the size of the star forming region is a distinctive factor when comparing local and distant galaxies of similar SFRs. However, when using Hα as a tracer for both local and high-z samples, the differences are smaller than those reported using a variety of other tracers. In the L(Hα) - L(Hα) surface density (ΣHα) plane, most of the local U/LIRGs and high-z SF galaxies follow the same trend (i.e. higher luminosity for higher surface density) and cover a similar range, except for about 20-40% of local U/LIRGs, which have a higher ΣHα by a factor of about 10. This is considerably smaller than the factors of 1000 or more reported in similar planes (i.e. L(TIR) versus ΣTIR). Despite of the higher fraction of galaxies with compact Hα emission, a sizable group (about one-third) of local U/LIRGs are large (i.e. r1/2 > 2 kpc). These are systems that show evidence of pre-coalescence merger activity and are indistinguishable from the massive high-z SFGs galaxies in terms of their Hα sizes, and luminosity and SFR surface densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The observational study of star-formation relations in galaxies is central for unraveling the related physical processes that are at work on local and global scales. It is still debated whether star formation can be described by a universal law that remains valid in different populations of galaxies. Aims. We aim to expand the sample of extreme starbursts, represented by local luminous and ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs and ULIRGs), with high-quality observations in the 1-0 line of HCN, which is taken as a proxy for the dense molecular gas content. The new data presented in this work allow us to enlarge in particular the number of LIRGs studied in HCN by a factor 3 compared to previous works. The chosen LIRG sample has a range of HCN luminosities that partly overlaps with that of the normal galaxy population. We study if a universal law can account for the star-formation relations observed for the dense molecular gas in normal star-forming galaxies and extreme starbursts and explore the validity of different theoretical prescriptions of the star-formation law. Methods. We have used the IRAM 30 m telescope to observe a sample of 19 LIRGs in the 1-0 lines of CO, HCN and HCO+. The galaxies were extracted from a sample of local LIRGs with available high-quality and high-resolution images obtained at optical, near and mid IR wavelengths, which probe the star-formation activity. We therefore derived the star-formation rates using different tracers and determined the sizes of the star-forming regions of all targets. Results. The analysis of the new data proves that the efficiency of star formation in the dense molecular gas (SFEdense) of extreme starbursts is a factor 3-4 higher compared to normal galaxies. Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) power laws were also derived.We find a duality in KS laws that is further reinforced if we account for the likely different conversion factor for HCN (αHCN) in extreme starbursts and for the unobscured star-formation rate in normal galaxies. This result extends the more extreme bimodal behavior of star-formation laws that was derived from CO molecular lines by two recent surveys to the higher molecular densities probed by HCN lines. Conclusions. We compared our observations with the predictions of theoretical models in which the efficiency of star formation is determined by the ratio of a constant star-formation rate per free-fall time (SFRff) to the local free-fall time (tff). We find that it is possible to fit the observed differences in the SFEdense between normal galaxies and LIRGs/ULIRGs using a common constant SFRff and a set of physically acceptable HCN densities, but only if SFRff ∼ 0.005-0.01 and/or if αHCN is a factor of ∼a few lower than our favored values. Star-formation recipes that explicitly depend on the galaxy global dynamical time scales do not significantly improve the fit to the new HCN data presented in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]