CO(2-1) observations of the nucleus of Maffei 2

Observations of the core of the spiral galaxy Maffei 2 have been made in the J = 2 - 1 line of (C-12)O, with a spatial resolution of 30 arcsec. Emission in this transition is confined to an area not much greater than 740 pc in extent. The ratio of intensities of the J = 2 - 1 and J = 1 - 0 (C-12)O transitions, as measured by the Owens Valley Radio Observatory's 10.4 m antenna, is quite high, about 3.0, but because of the small source size, may be largely attributed to the effects of beam dilution. It is shown that enhancement of the line strength at the nucleus of the galaxy is unlikely to be due solely to a temperature gradient between the core and the disk. Star formation may have taken place quite recently in Maffei 2, perhaps as the result of interaction between Maffei 1 and Maffei 2.