Discovery of the pigtail molecular cloud in the galactic center

Shinji Matsumura; Tomoharu Oka; Kunihiko Tanaka; Makoto Nagai; Kazuhisa Kamegai; Tetsuo Hasegawa

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/756/1/87

Discovery of the pigtail molecular cloud in the galactic center

Shinji Matsumura, Tomoharu Oka, Kunihiko Tanaka, Makoto Nagai, Kazuhisa Kamegai, Tetsuo Hasegawa

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper reports the discovery of a helical molecular cloud in the central molecular zone (CMZ) of our Galaxy. This "pigtail" molecular cloud appears at (l, b, V _LSR) ≃ (-0°7, + 0°.0, - 70 to -30kms^-1), with a spatial size of ∼20 × 20 pc² and a mass of (2-6) × 10⁵ M_⊙. This is the third helical gaseous nebula found in the Galactic center region to date. Line intensity ratios indicate that the pigtail molecular cloud has slightly higher temperature and/or density than the other normal clouds in the CMZ. We also found a high-velocity wing emission near the footpoint of this cloud. We propose a formation model of the pigtail molecular cloud. It might be associated with a magnetic tube that is twisted and coiled because of the interaction between clouds in the innermost x ₁ orbit and ones in the outermost x ₂ orbit.

Original language	English
Article number	87
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	756
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/756/1/87
Publication status	Published - 2012 Sep 1

Keywords

Galaxy: center
ISM: clouds
galaxies: ISM
galaxies: magnetic fields

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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title = "Discovery of the pigtail molecular cloud in the galactic center",

abstract = "This paper reports the discovery of a helical molecular cloud in the central molecular zone (CMZ) of our Galaxy. This {"}pigtail{"} molecular cloud appears at (l, b, V LSR) ≃ (-0°7, + 0°.0, - 70 to -30kms-1), with a spatial size of ∼20 × 20 pc2 and a mass of (2-6) × 105 M⊙. This is the third helical gaseous nebula found in the Galactic center region to date. Line intensity ratios indicate that the pigtail molecular cloud has slightly higher temperature and/or density than the other normal clouds in the CMZ. We also found a high-velocity wing emission near the footpoint of this cloud. We propose a formation model of the pigtail molecular cloud. It might be associated with a magnetic tube that is twisted and coiled because of the interaction between clouds in the innermost x 1 orbit and ones in the outermost x 2 orbit.",

keywords = "Galaxy: center, ISM: clouds, galaxies: ISM, galaxies: magnetic fields",

author = "Shinji Matsumura and Tomoharu Oka and Kunihiko Tanaka and Makoto Nagai and Kazuhisa Kamegai and Tetsuo Hasegawa",

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AU - Matsumura, Shinji

AU - Oka, Tomoharu

AU - Tanaka, Kunihiko

AU - Nagai, Makoto

AU - Kamegai, Kazuhisa

AU - Hasegawa, Tetsuo

PY - 2012/9/1

Y1 - 2012/9/1

N2 - This paper reports the discovery of a helical molecular cloud in the central molecular zone (CMZ) of our Galaxy. This "pigtail" molecular cloud appears at (l, b, V LSR) ≃ (-0°7, + 0°.0, - 70 to -30kms-1), with a spatial size of ∼20 × 20 pc2 and a mass of (2-6) × 105 M⊙. This is the third helical gaseous nebula found in the Galactic center region to date. Line intensity ratios indicate that the pigtail molecular cloud has slightly higher temperature and/or density than the other normal clouds in the CMZ. We also found a high-velocity wing emission near the footpoint of this cloud. We propose a formation model of the pigtail molecular cloud. It might be associated with a magnetic tube that is twisted and coiled because of the interaction between clouds in the innermost x 1 orbit and ones in the outermost x 2 orbit.

AB - This paper reports the discovery of a helical molecular cloud in the central molecular zone (CMZ) of our Galaxy. This "pigtail" molecular cloud appears at (l, b, V LSR) ≃ (-0°7, + 0°.0, - 70 to -30kms-1), with a spatial size of ∼20 × 20 pc2 and a mass of (2-6) × 105 M⊙. This is the third helical gaseous nebula found in the Galactic center region to date. Line intensity ratios indicate that the pigtail molecular cloud has slightly higher temperature and/or density than the other normal clouds in the CMZ. We also found a high-velocity wing emission near the footpoint of this cloud. We propose a formation model of the pigtail molecular cloud. It might be associated with a magnetic tube that is twisted and coiled because of the interaction between clouds in the innermost x 1 orbit and ones in the outermost x 2 orbit.

KW - Galaxy: center

KW - ISM: clouds

KW - galaxies: ISM

KW - galaxies: magnetic fields

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