We present a giant molecular cloud (GMC) catalog of M33 (NGC598), containing 71 GMCs in total, based on wide-field and high-sensitivity CO(J=3-2) observations with a spatial resolution of 100pc using the ASTE 10m telescope. Employing archival optical data, we identify 75 young stellar groups (YSGs) from the excess of the surface stellar density, and estimate their ages by comparing with stellar evolution models. A spatial comparison among the GMCs, YSGs, and H II regions enable us to classify GMCs into four categories: Type A, showing no sign of massive star formation (SF); Type B, being associated only with H II regions; Type C, with both H II regions and 10^5^M_{sun}_ is estimated to be 20-40Myr. In addition, we find that the dense gas fraction as traced by the CO(J=3-2)/CO(J=1-0) ratio is enhanced around SF regions. This confirms a scenario where dense gas is preferentially formed around previously generated stars, and will be the fuel for the next stellar generation. In this way, massive SF gradually propagates in a GMC until gas is exhausted.

Cone search capability for table J/ApJ/761/37/table3 (M33 young stellar group catalog)

Cone search capability for table J/ApJ/761/37/gmc (Properties of the CO(J=3-2) emission components and massive star formation ; from erratum published in 2017 ApJ 834 97)