Dense gas in high-latitude molecular clouds

The nearby molecular clouds MBM 7, 12, 30, 32, 40, 41, and 55 were surveyed for tracers of dense gas, including the (1-0), (2-1), and (3-2) rotational lines of CS and the (1-0) lines of HCO(+) and HCN. MBM 7 and MBM 12 contain dense cores, while the other clouds contain little or no traces of dense gas. Comparison of the emission from dense gas tracers to that of (13)CO reveals that the former are more compact in angular size as well as line width. An extensive CS(2-1) survey of part of MBM 12 reveals that the emission is characterized by clumps on approximately 3 min scales as well as extended emission. Observations of the CS(1-0) and (3-2) lines using telescopes with matched beam sizes reveal that the volume density must be at least approximately 10(exp 4.5)/cc within the (3-2) emitting regions, which are approximately 0.03 pc in radius. Electron excitation of the CS rotational levels is ruled out (in the cores) by comparing the (3-2)/(1-0) line ratios with models including H2 and electron collisions. The volume density in the cores is substantially larger than in the portions of the cloud traced by CO emission. The density increases into the cores as r(exp -2), suggesting dynamical collapse. The masses of the cores are close to the virial mass, suggesting they are dynamically bound. The cores in MBM 7 and MBM 12 are thus likely to form stars; they are the nearest sites of star formation.