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arXiv · 1002.4856

The High-Density Ionized Gas in the Central Parsecs of the Galaxy

Jun-Hui Zhao·Ray Blundell·James M. Moran·D. Downes·Karl F. Schuster·Dan Marrone
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Abstract

We report the results from observations of H30$α$ line emission in Sgr A West with the Submillimeter Array at a resolution of 2\arcsec and a field of view of about 40\arcsec. The H30$α$ line is sensitive to the high-density ionized gas in the minispiral structure. We compare the velocity field obtained from H30$α$ line emission to a Keplerian model, and our results suggest that the supermassive black hole at Sgr A* dominates the dynamics of the ionized gas. However, we also detect significant deviations from the Keplerian motion, which show that the impact of strong stellar winds from the massive stars along the ionized flows and the interaction between Northern and Eastern arms play significant roles in the local gas dynamics.

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Jun-Hui Zhao, Ray Blundell, James M. Moran, D. Downes, Karl F. Schuster, Dan Marrone. 2010-02-25. The High-Density Ionized Gas in the Central Parsecs of the Galaxy. https://arxiv.org/abs/1002.4856

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