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| Paper: |
High Cosmic Ray Flux in the Galactic Center Probed by the H3+ Infrared Spectrum |
| Volume: |
528, New Horizons in Galactic Center Astronomy and Beyond |
| Page: |
425 |
| Authors: |
Oka, T. |
| Abstract: |
Using infrared spectra of H3+ toward 23 infrared stars, the cosmic ray ionization rate of H2 in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the Galactic center (GC) has been determined to be ζ∼ 2 × 10–14 s-1. This is 1000 times higher than the value near the solar vicinity. It is 1000 and 100 times higher than in dense and diffuse clouds, respectively, in the Galactic disk. The high ζ value presumably due to a large number of supernova remnants is in accord with high temperature of the gas and slow star formation and high initial mass function. |
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