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| Paper: |
Star formation in the Galactic Center GMC cores: Sagittarius B2 and the dust ridge |
| Volume: |
73, Airborne Astronomy Symposium on the Galactic Ecosystem: From Gas to Stars to Dust |
| Page: |
499 |
| Authors: |
Lis, D. C.; Menten, K. M. |
| Abstract: |
The total far-infrared luminosity and the ionizing flux inferred from radio continuum observations of the Galactic center region imply a rate of star formation per unit mass of molecular material comparable to that in the Galactic disk. However, H2O and OH masers commonly found in sites of high-mass star formation are relatively rare in the nuclear disk. Far-infrared studies suggest that the formation rate of stars with masses greater than approximately 20 Solar Mass is reduced in the central region compared to the Galactic disk. Star formation might be suppressed currently in the central region as a result of the different geometry and strength of the magnetic fields there, which arguably might tend to inhibit cloud collapse. High gas pressures implied by observations of the diffuse X-ray emission suggest that giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in the nuclear disk may be held together by external pressure rather than self-gravity. The gravitational collapse leading to the formation of high density cores may thus be suppressed in all but the most massive clouds. |
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