Temperatures of galactic molecular clouds showing CO self-absorption

The CO J = 2-1 line has been observed and, in most cases, mapped in 10 star-forming molecular clouds (W3, NGC 1333, NGC 2071, Mon R2, CRL 961, Rho Oph, W49N, W51A, DR 21, and Cep A). The CO J = 3-2 line has been observed in W3 and DR 21. The CO lines from all these sources are strongly self-absorbed. By comparing the present results with published CO(1-0) line profiles, it is found that large corrections to the temperatures of the cloud cores, as measured by the CO(1-0) lines, are required. The corrections for self-absorption bring the CO brightness temperatures into closer agreement with the grain temperatures inferred from far-IR photometry.