Molecular Hydrogen Emission from the Inner 400 Parsecs of the Galaxy
Abstract
We have mapped the H_2 v=1-0 S(1) (\lambda=2.1215 \micron) emission line along a 400 pc long strip and in a 50 pc region in the Galactic center. There is H_2 emission throughout the surveyed region. The typical de-reddened (A_K = 2.5 mag) surface brightness, about 3 X 10^{-5} ergs/s/cm^2/sr, is similar to the surface brightness in large-scale photon-dominated regions in the galactic disk. We investigate two possible excitation mechanisms for the H_2 emission: UV-excitation by photons from OB stars, and shock waves, and conclude that UV-excitation is more likely. The total H_2 v=1-0 S(1) luminosity in the inner 400 pc region of the Galaxy is 8000 L_sun. The ratio of the H_2 to far-IR luminosity in the inner 400 pc of the Galaxy agrees with that in starburst galaxies and ultraluminous infrared bright galaxies.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9604174,
title = {Molecular Hydrogen Emission from the Inner 400 Parsecs of the Galaxy},
author = {Soojong Pak and D. T. Jaffe and L. D. Keller},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9604174},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
12 pages, 2 postscript figures, uses aaspp4.sty