[CII] and [OIII] mapping in the molecular ridge

Following up on studies carried out at galactic scales in low-Z galaxies, we present an unprecedentedly detailed analysis of well-known star-forming regions (SFRs) at a spatial resolution of a few parsecs. We mapped a 610pcx260pc region in the LMC molecular ridge in [C II]{lambda}158um and the [O III]{lambda}88um using the FIFI-LS instrument on the SOFIA telescope. We compared the data with the distribution of the CO(2-1) emission from ALMA, the modeled total infrared luminosity, and the Spitzer/MIPS 24um continuum and H{alpha}.

We present new large maps of [C II] and [O III] and perform a first comparison with CO(2-1) line and LTIR emission. We also provide a detailed description of the observing strategy with SOFIA/FIFI-LS and the data reduction process. We find that [C II] and [O III] emission is associated with the SFRs in the molecular ridge, but also extends throughout the mapped region, and is not obviously associated with ongoing star formation.

The CO emission is clumpier than the [C II] emission and we find plentiful [C II] present where there is little CO emission, possibly holding important implications for "CO-dark" gas. We find a clear trend of the L[C II]/LTIR ratio decreasing with increasing LTIR in the full range. This suggests a strong link between the "[C II]-deficit" and the local physical conditions instead of global properties.