  We performed 12CO(1-0), 13CO(1-0), and HCN(1-0) single-dish observations
(beam size ~14"-18") toward nearby starburst and non-starburst galaxies using
the Nobeyama 45 m telescope. The 13CO(1-0) and HCN(1-0) emissions were detected
from all the seven starburst galaxies, with the intensities of both lines being
similar (i.e., the ratios are around unity). On the other hand, for case of the
non-starburst galaxies, the 13CO(1-0) emission was detected from all three
galaxies, while the HCN(1-0) emission was weakly or not detected in past
observations. This result indicates that the HCN/13CO intensity ratios are
significantly larger (~1.15+-0.32) in the starburst galaxy samples than the
non-starburst galaxy samples (<0.31+-0.14). The large-velocity-gradient model
suggests that the molecular gas in the starburst galaxies have warmer and
denser conditions than that in the non-starburst galaxies, and the
photon-dominated-region model suggests that the denser molecular gas is
irradiated by stronger interstellar radiation field in the starburst galaxies
than that in the non-starburst galaxies. In addition, HCN/13CO in our sample
galaxies exhibit strong correlations with the IRAS 25 micron flux ratios. It is
a well established fact that there exists a strong correlation between dense
molecular gas and star formation activities, but our results suggest that
molecular gas temperature is also an important parameter.

Astrophysics of Galaxies