Universität zu Köln

Kauffmann, Jens ORCID: 0000-0002-5094-6393, Pillai, Thushara, Zhang, Qizhou, Menten, Karl M., Goldsmith, Paul F., Lu, Xing ORCID: 0000-0003-2619-9305, Guzman, Andres E. and Schmiedeke, Anika (2017). The Galactic Center Molecular Cloud Survey II. A lack of dense gas and cloud evolution along Galactic center orbits. Astron. Astrophys., 603. LES ULIS CEDEX A: EDP SCIENCES S A. ISSN 1432-0746

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Abstract

We present the first systematic study of the density structure of clouds found in a complete sample covering all major molecular clouds in the central molecular zone (CMZ; inner similar to 200 pc) of the Milky Way. This is made possible with data from the Galactic Center Molecular Cloud Survey (GCMS), which is the first study resolving all major molecular clouds in the CMZ at interferometer angular resolution. We find that many CMZ molecular clouds have unusually shallow density gradients compared to regions elsewhere in the Milky Way. This is possibly a consequence of weak gravitational binding of the clouds. The resulting relative absence of dense gas on spatial scales similar to 0.1 pc is probably one of the reasons why star formation (SF) in dense gas of the CMZ is suppressed by a factor similar to 10, compared to solar neighborhood clouds. Another factor suppressing star formation is the high SF density threshold that likely results from the observed gas kinematics. Further, it is possible but not certain that the star formation activity and cloud density structure evolve systematically as clouds orbit the CMZ.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Kauffmann, Jens UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-5094-6393 UNSPECIFIED Pillai, Thushara UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Zhang, Qizhou UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Menten, Karl M. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Goldsmith, Paul F. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Lu, Xing UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0003-2619-9305 UNSPECIFIED Guzman, Andres E. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Schmiedeke, Anika UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-226480
DOI:	10.1051/0004-6361/201628089
Journal or Publication Title:	Astron. Astrophys.
Volume:	603
Date:	2017
Publisher:	EDP SCIENCES S A
Place of Publication:	LES ULIS CEDEX A
ISSN:	1432-0746
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language STAR-FORMATION RATE; INFRARED DARK CLOUDS; MASS-SIZE RELATION; CENTER DUST RIDGE; SGR A-ASTERISK; CENTER REGION; MAGNETIC-FIELDS; CENTER ENVIRONMENT; INITIAL CONDITIONS; FORMATION RATES Multiple languages Astronomy & Astrophysics Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/22648