Abstract
Title- HOW DOES DENSE MOLECULAR GAS CONTRIBUTE TO STAR FORMATION IN THE STARBURST GALAXY NGC 2146?
NGC 2146 is believed to have been formed approximately 800 million years ago, when two galaxies collided with each other possibly leading to a burst of star formation. Molecular clouds serve as nurseries for star formation. Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) and Carbon monoxide (CO) are molecules found in molecular gas clouds. HCN can only be formed in high density clouds (10^4 cm^{-3}), while CO is present in lower density gas (10^2 cm^{-3}). In this project, we are observing these two molecules and their proximity to where the stars are forming in the galaxy to determine if the star formation is occurring in the same area as the high and low density molecular gas areas in starburst galaxy NGC 2146.