Kinematics of molecular clouds I: Velocity dispersion in the solar neighborhood.

The velocity dispersions of low mass 10(2)M(solar) ~M(c) ~10 (4)M(solar) and moderate mass 10(4)M(solar) ~M(c) ~10(5.5)M (solar) molecular clouds in the solar neighborhood (tau ~ 3kpc) are determined. Two data sets are used: i) A strip map of iota = 180degrees from beta = -9degrees to +8degrees, observed in COJ=1->0 to an rms noise level of 0.1K in 0.65 km s(-1) filters. ii) A subset of the Blitz, Fich and Stark (1982) catalog of giant molecular clouds, that has been selected because the clouds peculiar velocities are accurately known.