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How maser observations unravel the gas motions in the Galactic Center

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 July 2018

K. Immer ,
M. Reid ,
A. Brunthaler ,
K. Menten ,
Q. Zhang ,
X. Lu ,
E. A. C. Mills ,
A. Ginsburg ,
J. Henshaw  and
S. Longmore
...Show all authors
K. Immer
Affiliation:
Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands email: immer@jive.eu
M. Reid
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
A. Brunthaler
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121, Bonn, Germany
K. Menten
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121, Bonn, Germany
Q. Zhang
Affiliation:
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
X. Lu
Affiliation:
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, JP 181-8588
E. A. C. Mills
Affiliation:
San Jose State University, 1 Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192, USA
A. Ginsburg
Affiliation:
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro, NM 87801USA
J. Henshaw
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
S. Longmore
Affiliation:
Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
D. Kruijssen
Affiliation:
Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Mönchhofstrasse 12-14, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
T. Pillai
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121, Bonn, Germany
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Abstract

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The Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), the inner 450 pc of our Galaxy, is an exceptional region where the volume and column densities, gas temperatures, velocity dispersions, etc. are much higher than in the Galactic plane. It has been suggested that the formation of stars and clusters in this area is related to the orbital dynamics of the gas. The complex kinematic structure of the molecular gas was revealed by spectral line observations. However, these results are limited to the line-of-sight-velocities. To fully understand the motions of the gas within the CMZ, we have to know its location in 6D space (3D location + 3D motion). Recent orbital models have tried to explain the inflow of gas towards and its kinematics within this region. With parallax and proper motion measurements of masers in the CMZ we can discriminate among these models and constrain how our Galactic Center is fed with gas.

Keywords

masersinstrumentation: interferometersastrometryGalaxy: centerGalaxy: kinematics and dynamicsradio lines: ISM
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 13 , Symposium S336: Astrophysical Masers: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe , September 2017 , pp. 176 - 179
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2018 

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