Detection of clump and interclump gas in the Rosette Molecular Cloud Complex

Abstract

High-resolution, high-sensitivity CO and (C-13)O observations have been made of the Rosette Molecular Cloud Complex at one beamwidth resolution. Clumpiness of the (C-13)O is seen everywhere in the complex. The clumps are shown to be easily identified entities with densities 10 times the volume-averaged density of the entire complex. The clumps are shown to be embedded in pervasive molecular 'interclump' gas of low average volume density (2/cu cm) which has not previously been observed. The velocity dispersion of the interclump gas is about 3 times greater than that of the clumps, implying that the gas is not gravitationally bound to the complex. It is shown that no special support of the complex as a whole needs to be postulated to prevent catastrophic collapse.