In this talk, I will present a detailed analysis of the diagnostic properties of methanol (CH3OH) in dense molecular clouds, made possible by the availability of recent (CH3OH-He) collisional rate coefficients. The dependence on the kinetic temperature and the spatial density of various millimeter and submillimeter line bands is investigated over a range of physical parameters typical of high- and low-mass star-forming regions. In the last part of the talk, I will discuss the results obtained by a multi-wavelength analysis of methanol data towards the high-mass protostellar object IRAS 05358+3543, obtained with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer and the SubMillimeter Array.

March 9, 2007
11:00 a.m. MT

Array Operations Center Auditorium

All NRAO employees are invited to attend via video, available in Charlottesville Room 230, Green Bank Room 137 and Tucson 525.

Local Host: Claire Chandler