arXivDaily arXiv每日学术速递 周一至周五更新
arXiv 1211.7142astro-ph.GA
收藏

银河系中心分子云的热状态:非光子驱动加热的证据

The thermal state of molecular clouds in the Galactic Center: evidence for non-photon-driven heating

Y. Ao, C. Henkel, K. M. Menten, M. A. Requena-Torres, T. Stanke, R. Mauersberger, S. Aalto, S. Muehle, J. Mangum

摘要:

利用阿塔卡马探路者实验(APEX)12 m望远镜,在218 GHz同时观测了对-H2 CO的J_KaKc=3_03-2_02,3_22-2_21和3_21-2_20跃迁,以确定银河系中心分子带(CMZ)致密气体的动力学温度。这张地图沿着银河平面延伸了大约40弧分x8弧分(~ 100 x20 pc ^2),线性分辨率为1.2 pc。三条谱线中最强的H_2CO(3_03-2_02)谱线分布广泛,其发射的空间分布与NH_3相似。对位H_2CO的相对丰度为0.5-1.2 × 10 ~(-9),与H_2CO低频吸收线的结果一致。单个分子云的气体动力学温度范围从50 K到超过100 K。虽然没有发现一个系统的趋势(降低)动力学温度随(增加)角距离银河系中心(GC),云最高温度(T_kin > 100 K)都位于核附近。对于密云外的分子气体,平均动力学温度为65+/-10 K。GC区大尺度分子云的高温可能是由湍流能量耗散和/或宇宙射线而不是光子驱动的。分子气体的这种非光子驱动的热态,为在超亮红外星系(ULIRGs)中发现的更遥远的剧烈恒星爆发提供了一个很好的模板。

英文摘要:

We used the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) 12 m telescope to observe the J_KaKc=3_03-2_02, 3_22-2_21, and 3_21-2_20 transitions of para-H_2CO at 218 GHz simultaneously to determine kinetic temperatures of the dense gas in the central molecular zone (CMZ) of our Galaxy. The map extends over approximately 40 arcmin x 8 arcmin (~100x20 pc^2) along the Galactic plane with a linear resolution of 1.2 pc. The strongest of the three lines, the H_2CO (3_03-2_02) transition, is found to be widespread, and its emission shows a spatial distribution similar to ammonia. The relative abundance of para-H_2CO is 0.5-1.2 10^{-9}, which is consistent with results from lower frequency H_2CO absorption lines. Derived gas kinetic temperatures for individual molecular clouds range from 50 K to values in excess of 100 K. While a systematic trend toward (decreasing) kinetic temperature versus (increasing) angular distance from the Galactic center (GC) is not found, the clouds with highest temperature (T_kin > 100 K) are all located near the nucleus. For the molecular gas outside the dense clouds, the average kinetic temperature is 65+/-10 K. The high temperatures of molecular clouds on large scales in the GC region may be driven by turbulent energy dissipation and/or cosmic-rays instead of photons. Such a non-photon-driven thermal state of the molecular gas provides an excellent template for the more distant vigorous starbursts found in ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs).

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

↑