We have investigated the properties of the high-latitude cloud MBM 7 using the 3 mm transitions of CO, CS, HCN, HCO+,C3H2,N2H+, and SiO. The molecular component of MBM 7 shows a very clumpy structure with a size of ≤0.5 pc, elongated along the northwest-southeast direction, perpendicularly to an extended HI component, which could be resulted from shock formation. We have derived physical properties for two molecular cores in the central region. Their sizes are 0.1-0.3 pc and masses 1-2 M⊙ having an average volume density ~2×10 3 cm-3 at the peak of molecular emission. We have tested the stability of the cores using the full version of the virial theorem and found that the cores are stabilized with ambient medium, and they are expected not to be dissipated easily without external perturbations. Therefore MBM 7 does not seem to be a site for new star formation. The molecular abundances in the densest core appear to be much less (by about one order of magnitude) than the 'general' dark cloud values. If the depletions of heavy elements are not significant in the HLCs compared with those in typical dark clouds, our results may suggest different chemical evolutionary stages or different chemical environments of the HLCs compared with dense dark clouds in the Galactic plane.

• Y. C. MINH(Korea Astronomy Observatory)
• H. G. KIM(Korea Astronomy Observatory)
• S. J. KIM(Dept. of Astronomy and Space Science, KyungHee University)
• P. BERGMAN(Onsala Space Observatory)
• L. E. B. JOHANSSON(Onsala Space Observatory)