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| Paper: |
Sustained Star Formation in the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way |
| Volume: |
439, The Galactic Center: a Window to the Nuclear Environment of Disk Galaxies |
| Page: |
79 |
| Authors: |
Kim, S. S.; Saitoh, T. R.; Jeon, M.; Merritt, D.; Figer, D. F.; Wada, K. |
| Abstract: |
Gas materials in the inner Galactic disk continuously migrate toward the
Galactic center (GC) due to interactions with the bar potential, magnetic
fields, stars, and other gaseous materials. Those in forms of molecules
appear to accumulate around 200 pc from the center (the central molecular
zone, CMZ) to form stars there and further inside. The bar potential
in the GC is thought to be responsible for such accumulation of molecules
and subsequent star formation, which is believed to have been continuous
throughout the lifetime of the Galaxy. We present 3-D
hydrodynamic simulations of the CMZ that consider
self-gravity, radiative cooling, and supernova feedback, and discuss the
efficiency and role of the star formation in that region. We find that
the gas accumulated in the CMZ by a bar potential of the
inner bulge effectively turns into stars, supporting the idea that
the stellar cusp inside the central 200 pc is a result of the sustained
star formation in the CMZ. The obtained star formation rate in the CMZ,
0.03–0.1 M☉, is consistent with the recent estimate based on
the mid-infrared observations by Yusef-Zadeh et al. |
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