A 100 pc elliptical and twisted ring of cold and dense molecular clouds revealed by Herschel around the galactic center

S. Molinari; J. Bally; A. Noriega-Crespo; M. Compiegne; J.P. Bernard; D. Paradis; P. Martin; L. Testi; M. Barlow; T. Moore; R. Plume; B. Swinyard; A. Zavagno; L. Calzoletti; A. M. Di Giorgio; D. Elia; F. Faustini; P. Natoli; Michele Pestalozzi; S. Pezzuto; F. Piacentini; G. Polenta; D. Polychroni; E. Schisano; A. Traficante; M. Veneziani; C. Battersby; M. Burton; S. Carey; Y. Fukui; J.Z. Li; S.D. Lord; L. Morgan; F. Motte; F. Schuller; G.S. Stringfellow; J.C. Tan; Mark Thompson; D. Ward-Thompson; G. White; G. Umana

doi:10.1088/2041-8205/735/2/L33

A 100 pc elliptical and twisted ring of cold and dense molecular clouds revealed by Herschel around the galactic center

S. Molinari, J. Bally, A. Noriega-Crespo, M. Compiegne, J.P. Bernard, D. Paradis, P. Martin, L. Testi, M. Barlow, T. Moore, R. Plume, B. Swinyard, A. Zavagno, L. Calzoletti, A. M. Di Giorgio, D. Elia, F. Faustini, P. Natoli, Michele Pestalozzi, S. PezzutoF. Piacentini, G. Polenta, D. Polychroni, E. Schisano, A. Traficante, M. Veneziani, C. Battersby, M. Burton, S. Carey, Y. Fukui, J.Z. Li, S.D. Lord, L. Morgan, F. Motte, F. Schuller, G.S. Stringfellow, J.C. Tan, Mark Thompson, D. Ward-Thompson, G. White, G. Umana

Centre for Astrophysics Research (CAR)

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Abstract

Thermal images of cold dust in the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way, obtained with the far-infrared cameras on board the Herschel satellite, reveal a ~3 × 107 M ring of dense and cold clouds orbiting the Galactic center. Using a simple toy model, an elliptical shape having semi-major axes of 100 and 60 pc is deduced. The major axis of this 100 pc ring is inclined by about 40° with respect to the plane of the sky and is oriented perpendicular to the major axes of the Galactic Bar. The 100 pc ring appears to trace the system of stable x 2 orbits predicted for the barred Galactic potential. Sgr A is displaced with respect to the geometrical center of symmetry of the ring. The ring is twisted and its morphology suggests a flattening ratio of 2 for the Galactic potential, which is in good agreement with the bulge flattening ratio derived from the 2MASS data.

Original language	English
Article number	L33
Number of pages	7
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	735
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/735/2/L33
Publication status	Published - 2011

Keywords

galaxy : center
ISM : clouds
stars : formation

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10.1088/2041-8205/735/2/L33

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‘In these times, during the rise in the popularity of institutional repositories, the Society does not forbid authors from depositing their work in such repositories. However, the AAS regards the deposit of scholarly work in such repositories to be a decision of the individual scholar, as long as the individual's actions respect the diligence of the journals and their reviewers.’
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Molinari, S., Bally, J., Noriega-Crespo, A., Compiegne, M., Bernard, J. P., Paradis, D., Martin, P., Testi, L., Barlow, M., Moore, T., Plume, R., Swinyard, B., Zavagno, A., Calzoletti, L., M. Di Giorgio, A., Elia, D., Faustini, F., Natoli, P., Pestalozzi, M., ... Umana, G. (2011). A 100 pc elliptical and twisted ring of cold and dense molecular clouds revealed by Herschel around the galactic center. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 735(2), Article L33. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/735/2/L33

@article{f5d45791471a4f93ae316fa541e0a1a0,

title = "A 100 pc elliptical and twisted ring of cold and dense molecular clouds revealed by Herschel around the galactic center",

abstract = "Thermal images of cold dust in the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way, obtained with the far-infrared cameras on board the Herschel satellite, reveal a ~3 × 107 M ring of dense and cold clouds orbiting the Galactic center. Using a simple toy model, an elliptical shape having semi-major axes of 100 and 60 pc is deduced. The major axis of this 100 pc ring is inclined by about 40° with respect to the plane of the sky and is oriented perpendicular to the major axes of the Galactic Bar. The 100 pc ring appears to trace the system of stable x 2 orbits predicted for the barred Galactic potential. Sgr A is displaced with respect to the geometrical center of symmetry of the ring. The ring is twisted and its morphology suggests a flattening ratio of 2 for the Galactic potential, which is in good agreement with the bulge flattening ratio derived from the 2MASS data.",

keywords = "galaxy : center, ISM : clouds, stars : formation",

author = "S. Molinari and J. Bally and A. Noriega-Crespo and M. Compiegne and J.P. Bernard and D. Paradis and P. Martin and L. Testi and M. Barlow and T. Moore and R. Plume and B. Swinyard and A. Zavagno and L. Calzoletti and {M. Di Giorgio}, A. and D. Elia and F. Faustini and P. Natoli and Michele Pestalozzi and S. Pezzuto and F. Piacentini and G. Polenta and D. Polychroni and E. Schisano and A. Traficante and M. Veneziani and C. Battersby and M. Burton and S. Carey and Y. Fukui and J.Z. Li and S.D. Lord and L. Morgan and F. Motte and F. Schuller and G.S. Stringfellow and J.C. Tan and Mark Thompson and D. Ward-Thompson and G. White and G. Umana",

note = "{\textquoteleft}In these times, during the rise in the popularity of institutional repositories, the Society does not forbid authors from depositing their work in such repositories. However, the AAS regards the deposit of scholarly work in such repositories to be a decision of the individual scholar, as long as the individual's actions respect the diligence of the journals and their reviewers.{\textquoteright} Original article can be found at : http://iopscience.iop.org/ Copyright American Astronomical Society",

year = "2011",

doi = "10.1088/2041-8205/735/2/L33",

language = "English",

volume = "735",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8213",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "2",

}

Molinari, S, Bally, J, Noriega-Crespo, A, Compiegne, M, Bernard, JP, Paradis, D, Martin, P, Testi, L, Barlow, M, Moore, T, Plume, R, Swinyard, B, Zavagno, A, Calzoletti, L, M. Di Giorgio, A, Elia, D, Faustini, F, Natoli, P, Pestalozzi, M, Pezzuto, S, Piacentini, F, Polenta, G, Polychroni, D, Schisano, E, Traficante, A, Veneziani, M, Battersby, C, Burton, M, Carey, S, Fukui, Y, Li, JZ, Lord, SD, Morgan, L, Motte, F, Schuller, F, Stringfellow, GS, Tan, JC, Thompson, M, Ward-Thompson, D, White, G & Umana, G 2011, 'A 100 pc elliptical and twisted ring of cold and dense molecular clouds revealed by Herschel around the galactic center', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 735, no. 2, L33. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/735/2/L33

TY - JOUR

T1 - A 100 pc elliptical and twisted ring of cold and dense molecular clouds revealed by Herschel around the galactic center

AU - Molinari, S.

AU - Bally, J.

AU - Noriega-Crespo, A.

AU - Compiegne, M.

AU - Bernard, J.P.

AU - Paradis, D.

AU - Martin, P.

AU - Testi, L.

AU - Barlow, M.

AU - Moore, T.

AU - Plume, R.

AU - Swinyard, B.

AU - Zavagno, A.

AU - Calzoletti, L.

AU - M. Di Giorgio, A.

AU - Elia, D.

AU - Faustini, F.

AU - Natoli, P.

AU - Pestalozzi, Michele

AU - Pezzuto, S.

AU - Piacentini, F.

AU - Polenta, G.

AU - Polychroni, D.

AU - Schisano, E.

AU - Traficante, A.

AU - Veneziani, M.

AU - Battersby, C.

AU - Burton, M.

AU - Carey, S.

AU - Fukui, Y.

AU - Li, J.Z.

AU - Lord, S.D.

AU - Morgan, L.

AU - Motte, F.

AU - Schuller, F.

AU - Stringfellow, G.S.

AU - Tan, J.C.

AU - Thompson, Mark

AU - Ward-Thompson, D.

AU - White, G.

AU - Umana, G.

N1 - ‘In these times, during the rise in the popularity of institutional repositories, the Society does not forbid authors from depositing their work in such repositories. However, the AAS regards the deposit of scholarly work in such repositories to be a decision of the individual scholar, as long as the individual's actions respect the diligence of the journals and their reviewers.’ Original article can be found at : http://iopscience.iop.org/ Copyright American Astronomical Society

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - Thermal images of cold dust in the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way, obtained with the far-infrared cameras on board the Herschel satellite, reveal a ~3 × 107 M ring of dense and cold clouds orbiting the Galactic center. Using a simple toy model, an elliptical shape having semi-major axes of 100 and 60 pc is deduced. The major axis of this 100 pc ring is inclined by about 40° with respect to the plane of the sky and is oriented perpendicular to the major axes of the Galactic Bar. The 100 pc ring appears to trace the system of stable x 2 orbits predicted for the barred Galactic potential. Sgr A is displaced with respect to the geometrical center of symmetry of the ring. The ring is twisted and its morphology suggests a flattening ratio of 2 for the Galactic potential, which is in good agreement with the bulge flattening ratio derived from the 2MASS data.

AB - Thermal images of cold dust in the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way, obtained with the far-infrared cameras on board the Herschel satellite, reveal a ~3 × 107 M ring of dense and cold clouds orbiting the Galactic center. Using a simple toy model, an elliptical shape having semi-major axes of 100 and 60 pc is deduced. The major axis of this 100 pc ring is inclined by about 40° with respect to the plane of the sky and is oriented perpendicular to the major axes of the Galactic Bar. The 100 pc ring appears to trace the system of stable x 2 orbits predicted for the barred Galactic potential. Sgr A is displaced with respect to the geometrical center of symmetry of the ring. The ring is twisted and its morphology suggests a flattening ratio of 2 for the Galactic potential, which is in good agreement with the bulge flattening ratio derived from the 2MASS data.

KW - galaxy : center

KW - ISM : clouds

KW - stars : formation

U2 - 10.1088/2041-8205/735/2/L33

DO - 10.1088/2041-8205/735/2/L33

M3 - Article

SN - 2041-8213

VL - 735

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 2

M1 - L33

ER -

A 100 pc elliptical and twisted ring of cold and dense molecular clouds revealed by Herschel around the galactic center

Abstract

Keywords

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