Molecular gas conditions in NGC 4945 and the Circinus galaxy

We present results of a multi-transition study of the dense molecular gas: in the central part of the hybrid star-burst/Seyfert galaxies NGC 4945 and the Circinus galaxy. From the results of radiative transfer calculations, w e estimate in NGC 4945 n(H2) = 3 10(3)-10(4) cm(-3) and T-kin approximate t o 100 K and in Circinus n(H2) = 2 10(3)-10(5) cm(-3) and T-kin approximate to 50-80 K for the molecular hydrogen density and kinetic temperature, resp ectively. As well as density/temperature tracing molecules, we have observe d (CO)-O-17 and (CO)-O-18 in each galaxy and the value of (CO)-O-18/(CO)-O- 17 approximate to 6 for the isotopic column density ratio suggests that bot h have relatively high populations of massive stars. Finally. although star formation is present, the radiative transfer results combined with the hig h HCN/CO and (possibly) HCN/FIR, radio/FIR ratios may suggest that, in comp arison with Circinus, a higher proportion of the dense gas emission in NGC 4945 may be located in the hypothesised central nuclear disk as opposed to dense star forming cloud cores. Contrary to the literature, which assumes t hat all of the far-infrared emission arises from star formation, our result s suggest that in NGC 4945 some of this emission could arise front an addit ional source, and so we believe that a revision of the star formation rate estimates may be required for these two galaxies.