Y. Fukui, N. Mizuno, A. Mizuno, T. Onishi, N. Yamaguchi, A. Hara, T. Hayakawa, R. Abe, H. Saito, R. Yamaguchi, Y. Mine, Y. Moriguchi, S. Mano, K. Matsunaga
Nagoya University

K. Tachihara
Max-Plank Institute

A. Kawamura
University of Tokyo

Y. Yonekura, H. Ogawa
Osaka Pref. Univ.

M. Rubio
Univ. of Chile

Fully sampled ¹²CO(J=1-0) observations of the whole extent of the LMC have been made, using the NANTEN radio telescope with a linear resolution of ~ 40 pc at a detection limit for N(H₂) of 3 x 10²¹ cm^-2. In addition, to reveal the distribution of weakly emitting molecular gas, several selected regions including 30 Doradus, the southern large CO complex, N11, N44, and the Bar, have been mapped with higher sensitivity corresponding to a detection limit of 1 x 10²¹ cm^-2 in the same line at the same angular resolution. Based on these results, we estimate that the total molecular mass of the LMC may increase up to ~ 7 x 10⁷ M, about twice as large as our previous estimate, ~ 4 x 10⁷M, if the sensitive observations were made over the whole galaxy. It corresponds to 5 - 10% of the HI mass ~ 7 x 10⁸ M (McGee \& Milton,1966, AuJPh, 19, 343). We will discuss the cloud size disutributions, size-linewidth relations, and the conversion factor from CO line intensity to H₂ column density in individual regions. From the detailed comparisons of the GMCs with HII regions and the young stellar clusters, star formation in each region also will be discussed.