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The Galactic Center Environment

Morris, Mark and Serabyn, Eugene (1996) The Galactic Center Environment. Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 34 . pp. 645-701. ISSN 0066-4146. doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.34.1.645. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170905-083817972

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Abstract

The central half kiloparsec region of our Galaxy harbors a variety of phenomena unique to the central environment. This review discusses the observed structure and activity of the interstellar medium in this region in terms of its inevitable inflow toward the center of the Galactic gravitational potential well. A number of dissipative processes lead to a strong concentration of gas into a “Central Molecular Zone” of about 200-pc radius, in which the molecular medium is characterized by large densities, large velocity dispersions, high temperatures, and apparently strong magnetic fields. The physical state of the gas and the resultant star formation processes occurring in this environment are therefore quite unlike those occurring in the large-scale disk. Gas not consumed by star formation either enters a hot X ray–emitting halo and is lost as a thermally driven galactic wind or continues moving inward, probably discontinuously, through the domain of the few parsec-sized circumnuclear disks and eventually into the central parsec. There, the central radio source SgrA* currently accepts only a tiny fraction of the inflowing material, likely as a result of a limit cycle wherein the continual inflow of matter provokes star formation, which in turn can temporarily halt the inflow via mass-outflow winds.


Item Type:Article
Related URLs:
URLURL TypeDescription
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.astro.34.1.645DOIArticle
http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.astro.34.1.645PublisherArticle
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Morris, Mark0000-0002-6753-2066
Additional Information:© 1996 Annual Reviews. We thank our many colleagues who avidly contributed with discussions, unpublished data, preparation of figures, and/or readings of the preliminary manuscript: R Blandford, J Carlstrom, JA Davidson, D Dowell, I Gatley, RH Hildebrand, JH Lacy, DC Lis, N Mastrodemos, S Phinney, DL Shupe, S Stolovy, K Uchida, and MCH Wright We also appreciate little Nicholas Serabyn's unrelenting interest in the flavor of the manuscript.
Subject Keywords:Galactic bar, magnetic fields, SgrA*, circumnuclear disk, star formation, molecular clouds, black holes, X rays
DOI:10.1146/annurev.astro.34.1.645
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20170905-083817972
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170905-083817972
Official Citation:THE GALACTIC CENTER ENVIRONMENT Mark Morris Eugene Serabyn Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics 1996 34:1, 645-701
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:81124
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: Tony Diaz
Deposited On:05 Sep 2017 18:10
Last Modified:15 Nov 2021 19:41

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