Shock structure and shock heating in the Galactic central molecular zone

Abstract

We present maps of a large number of dense molecular gas tracers across the central molecular zone of our Galaxy. The data were taken with the CSIRO/CASS Mopra telescope in Large Projects in the 1.3 cm, 7 mm, and 3 mm wavelength regimes. Here, we focus on the brightness of the shock tracers SiO and HNCO, molecules that are liberated from dust grains under strong (SiO) and weak (HNCO) shocks. The shocks may have occurred when the gas enters the bar regions and the shock differences could be due to differences in the moving cloud masses. Based on tracers of ionizing photons, it is unlikely that the morphological differences are due to selective photo-dissociation of the molecules. We also observe direct heating of molecular gas in strongly shocked zones, with high SiO/HNCO ratios, where temperatures are determined from the transitions of ammonia. Strong shocks appear to be the most efficient heating source of molecular gas, apart from high energy emission emitted by the central supermassive black hole Sgr A* and the processes within the extreme star formation region Sgr B2. Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2014.