Large-scale dynamics and the formation of clouds and stars in the 30 Doradus region of the Large Magellanic Cloud

Understanding the processes governing the formation of clouds and stars in merging systems is key for the study of how galaxies evolved in the early Universe. The 30 Doradus region in the lowmetallicity Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is the nearest example of this process, resulting from the interaction between the LMC and the halo of the Milky Way. This makes 30 Doradus the prime laboratory to study these largescale dynamical processes under conditions that are similar to those at early cosmological times. We propose to use Herschel to obtain a largescale uniform sampling of this region in CII 158um, NII 122um and 205um, and OI 63um and 146um lines with PACS, and at selected positions in CII with HIFI. With this data we will derive the largescale distribution of the density and pressure of the lowmetallicity gas revealing the characteristic signatures of shocked gas. This will then be used to determine the relationships among the diffuse, dark H2, and dense molecular gas in the 30 Doradus region. We will also derive the electron density distribution of the gas and from this the contribution from ionized gas to the observed CII emission. The proposed observations will allow us to study the effect of largescale gas compression in the multiphase, lowmetallicity interstellar medium of 30 Doradus. This information will be valuable for the interpretation of future observations of CII in highredshift galaxies made with ALMA truncated!, Please see actual data for full text [truncated!, Please see actual data for full text]