Author:
Mangum Jeffrey G.,Viti Serena,
Abstract
The star formation process in galaxies drives their evolution. The physical conditions which drive the star formation process in galaxies are studied using measurements of atomic and molecular species found in the dense has from which stars form in galaxies. Molecular emission measurements at millimeter/submillimeter wavelengths have revealed the molecular complexity of the star formation regions in galaxies. In a recent study of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC253 using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the ALMA Comprehensive High-resolution Extragalactic Molecular Inventory (ALCHEMI) large program imaged the continuum and spectral line emission from the central molecular zone (CMZ) of this starburst galaxy. In this article we summarize the current results derived from the ALCHEMI large program. Many of these studies have focused on clarifying the state of dense gas heating processes in the NGC253 CMZ.