Search for cold gas in clusters with and without cooling flows

Observations are presented related to the search for cold gas reservoir that must feed the star formaton. The dominant galaxy in each of 37 clusters was studied using coadded IRAS survey data, and 11 of these galaxies were observed with the NRAO 12-m telescope at Kitt Peak for Co emission. No CO emission was detected in any of the observed galxies. Six galaxies detected by IRAS, in addition to one previously known, are reported to have cooling flows. Assuming that cluster cooling flows with mass of about 100 solar masses/yr exist and are feeding star formation in the central galaxies, then the star formation rates and efficiencies in these galaxies must be quite high in order to render the Co undetectable. At the same time, the IR luminosities of these galaxies are unremarkable, suggesting that the correlation between star formation efficiency and IR luminosity found for spirals does not apply to star formation in cooling flows. 42 refs