MOLECULAR GAS IN THE PERSEUS COOLING FLOW GALAXY, NGC-1275

The central arcminute of the Perseus cooling flow galaxy, NGC 1275, ha s been mapped with the JCMT in (CO)-C-12(2-1) at 21-arcsec resolution, with detections out to at least 36 arcsec (12 kpc). Within the Limits of the resolution and coverage, the distribution of gas appears to be roughly east-west, consistent with previous observations of CO, X-ray , Her and dust emission. The total detected molecular hydrogen mass is similar to 1.6 x 10(10) M-circle dot, using a Galactic conversion fac tor. The inner central rotating disc is apparent in the data, but the overall distribution is not one of rotation. Rather, the line profiles are bluewards-asymmetric, consistent with previous observations in HI and [O III]. We suggest that the blueshift may be due to an acquired mean velocity of similar to 150 km s(-1) imparted by the radio jet in the advancing direction. Within the uncertainties of the analysis, the available radio energy appears to be sufficient, and the interpretati on is consistent with that of Bohringer et al. for displaced X-ray emi ssion. We have also made the first observations of (CO)-C-13(2-1) and (CO)-C-12(3-2) emission from the central 21-arcsec region of NGC 1275 and combined these data with IRAM data supplied by Reuter et al. to fo rm line ratios over equivalent, well-sampled regions. An LVG radiative transfer analysis indicates that the line ratios are not well reprodu ced by single values of kinetic temperature, molecular hydrogen densit y and abundance per unit velocity gradient. At least two temperatures are suggested by a simple two-component LVG model, possibly reflecting a temperature gradient in this region.