Evolution of molecular clouds in the starburst galaxy NGC 1808 revealed with ALMA

We present large-field CO(1–0) observations of the starburst galaxy NGC 1808 conducted with ALMA. High-resolution (∼100 pc) images reveal a high concentration of molecular gas in the nucleus, 500-pc ring, gas-rich bar, and spiral arms. We derived the bar pattern speed and found an offset between CO and Hα emission peaks in the offset ridges along the bar. The results indicate that the evolution of molecular clouds on the galactic scale is driven by bar dynamics.