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May 8, 2026Open Access

The lifetime of 100,000 molecular clouds in the nearby Universe

Z. Bazzi M.I.N. Kobayashi D. Colombo F. Bigiel A. K. Leroy S. E. Meidt R. S. Klessen E. Rosolowsky R. Chown D. A. Dale S. Dlamini M. Greve S. K. Stuber M. Boquien T.G. Williams H.-A. Pan M. Querejeta L. Ramambason A. Romanelli T. Saito L. E. C. Romano M. J. Jimenez-Donaire H. Kim D. Pathak H. Koziol J. Sutter J.C. Lee

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Key Points

This research aims to assess the formation times and lifetimes of molecular clouds across different galaxy environments.
Utilized a catalog of 108,466 molecular clouds identified by F770W PHANGS-JWST imaging across 66 galaxies.
Measured mass spectra and formation times based on feedback compression models in various galactic regions.
Analyzed cloud formation rates in central regions compared to galactic disks.
Found formation times of clouds range from 20 Myr for lighter clouds to up to 100 Myr for heavier clouds.
Identified that formation is quickest in central regions of galaxies, approximately 5-10 Myr faster than in disks.
Determined that cloud lifetimes are about 1% of the molecular depletion time, indicating limitations in star formation efficiency.

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Implication

Analysis reveals molecular cloud formation times in galaxies, indicating star formation impacts longevity.

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Cite This Study

Bazzi et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a03cc3d1c527af8f1ed01d5 https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202659653/pdf

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