The thermal state of molecular clouds in the Galactic center: evidence for non-photon-driven heating
Journal article, 2014

We have used the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) 12 m telescope at 218 GHz to observe molecular clouds simultaneously in the J_KA,Kc=3_03→2_02,3_22→2_21,and 3_21→2_20 transitions of para-H2CO to determine kinetic temperatures of the dense gas in the central molecular zone of the Galaxy. Gas kinetic temperatures for individual molecular clouds range from 55 to 125 K or even higher. The molecular clouds at high temperatures may be heated by turbulent dissipation and/or cosmic-rays

Galaxy: center – interstellar medium: clouds – ISM: molecules – radio lines: ISM

Author

Y. Ao

MPIfR

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Chinese Academy of Sciences

C. Henkel

MPIfR

King Abdulaziz University

K. M. Menten

MPIfR

M. A. Requena-Torres

MPIfR

T. Stanke

European Southern Observatory (ESO)

R. Mauersberger

Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA)

Susanne Aalto

Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics

S. Muhle

University of Bonn

J. G. Mangum

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

1743-9213 (ISSN) 1743-9221 (eISSN)

Vol. 9 S303 89-91

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Roots

Basic sciences

Infrastructure

Onsala Space Observatory

DOI

10.1017/S1743921314000234

More information

Latest update

2/19/2021