3D CMZ. IV. Distinguishing Near versus Far Distances in the Galactic Center Using Spitzer and Herschel

Lipman, D, Battersby, C, Walker, DL, Sormani, MC, Bally, J, Barnes, A, Ginsburg, A, Glover, SCO, Henshaw, JD, Hatchfield, HP, Immer, K, Klessen, RS, Longmore, SN, Mills, EAC, Smith, R, Tress, RG, Alboslani, D and Zhang, Q (2025) 3D CMZ. IV. Distinguishing Near versus Far Distances in the Galactic Center Using Spitzer and Herschel. The Astrophysical Journal, 984 (2). pp. 1-30. ISSN 0004-637X

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Abstract

A comprehensive 3D model of the central 300 pc of the Milky Way, the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) is of fundamental importance in understanding energy cycles in galactic nuclei, since the 3D structure influences the location and intensity of star formation, feedback, and black hole accretion. Current observational constraints are insufficient to distinguish between existing 3D models. Dust extinction is one diagnostic tool that can help determine the location of dark molecular clouds relative to the bright Galactic Center emission. By combining Herschel and Spitzer observations, we developed three new dust extinction techniques to estimate the likely near/far locations for each cloud in the CMZ. We compare our results to four geometric CMZ orbital models. Our extinction methods show good agreement with each other, and with results from spectral line absorption analysis from Walker et al. Our near/far results for CMZ clouds are inconsistent with a projected version of the Y. Sofue two-spiral-arms model, and show disagreement in position–velocity space with the S. Molinari et al. closed elliptical orbit. Our results are in reasonable agreement with the J. M. D. Kruijssen et al. open streams. We find that a simplified toy-model elliptical orbit that conserves angular momentum shows promising fits in both position–position and position–velocity space. We conclude that all current CMZ orbital models lack the complexity needed to describe the motion of gas in the CMZ, and further work is needed to construct a complex orbital model to accurately describe gas flows in the CMZ.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	5109 Space Sciences; 51 Physical Sciences; 0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences; 0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics; 0306 Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural); Astronomy & Astrophysics; 5101 Astronomical sciences; 5107 Particle and high energy physics; 5109 Space sciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions:	Astrophysics Research Institute
Publisher:	American Astronomical Society
Date of acceptance:	8 January 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	15 May 2025
Date Deposited:	15 May 2025 12:45
Last Modified:	15 May 2025 13:00
DOI or ID number:	10.3847/1538-4357/adb5ee
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26364

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