VV 114 - MAKING OF AN ULTRALUMINOUS GALAXY

High-resolution (theta = 4.4'' x 3.1'') CO observations of the IR lumi nous system VV 114 (IC 1623) using the Owens Valley Millimeter array r eveal 5.1 x 10(10) M. of H-2 in a 5.9 x 3.1 kpc (15'' x 8'') bar with two 4-6 kpc long tails (D = 80 Mpc for H-0 = 75). The wide separation (6 kpc) of the merging optical galaxies, the extended gas distribution , and the noncircular gas kinematics suggest that VV 114 is in an earl y stage of a gas-rich merger. The concentration of gas and its dominan ce of the dynamics in the center of the merging remnant confirms the t heory that gas merges before the stars, and the large IR luminosity fu rther implies that the starburst and IR luminous phase can begin long before the majority of gas is concentrated in a compact nuclear source . On the other hand, the fact that most ultraluminous IR galaxies have compact nuclear gas complex (like Arp 220) suggests that the IR lumin ous phase extends well beyond the merger phase. A good correlation in the spatial distribution of CO and 1.4 GHz radio continuum emission is found, and the enhanced nonthermal emission is attributed to magnetic flux freezing in high-density regions.