Publication Abstracts

Scoville et al. 1972

Scoville, N.Z., P.M. Solomon, and P. Thaddeus, 1972: Survey of molecular lines near the galactic center. I. 6-centimeter formaldehyde absorption in Sagittarius a, Sagittarius B2, and the galactic plane from lII = 359°.4 to lII = 2°.2. Astrophys. J., 172, 335-353, doi:10.1086/151352.

The l11 → 110, 4830-MHz transition of has been mapped in Sgr A, Sgr B2, and along the galactic equator from lII = 359°.4 to lII = 2°.2 with a 6' beam and velocity resolution of t km/s. That this line is observed in absorption in all locations indicates a low 6-cm excitation temperature for all molecular clouds. Comparison with 21-cm data indicates that the H2CO is concentrated in distinct clouds to a much greater extent than atomic hydrogen, with many strong H2CO features occurring at velocities with weak or missing hydrogen lines. This suggests that most of the mass in these clouds is in the form of molecular hydrogen. There are four dominant clouds occurring at lII = 0°.0, 0°.7, 0°.9, and 1°.7. In contrast with atomic hydrogen, the strongest formaldehyde features occur at |VLSR| > 40 km/s and are apparently associated with the galactic nucleus. Estimates of the hydrogen density in these clouds, based on the assumptinn of stability and also on a comparison with local dark clouds, indicate a number density in the range of 103-104 cm-3 and a mass of approximately 5×105 M.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{sc08800k,
  author={Scoville, N. Z. and Solomon, P. M. and Thaddeus, P.},
  title={Survey of molecular lines near the galactic center. I. 6-centimeter formaldehyde absorption in Sagittarius a, Sagittarius B2, and the galactic plane from lII = 359°.4 to lII = 2°.2.},
  year={1972},
  journal={Astrophysical Journal},
  volume={172},
  pages={335--353},
  doi={10.1086/151352},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - sc08800k
AU  - Scoville, N. Z.
AU  - Solomon, P. M.
AU  - Thaddeus, P.
PY  - 1972
TI  - Survey of molecular lines near the galactic center. I. 6-centimeter formaldehyde absorption in Sagittarius a, Sagittarius B2, and the galactic plane from lII = 359°.4 to lII = 2°.2.
JA  - Astrophys. J.
JO  - Astrophysical Journal
VL  - 172
SP  - 335
EP  - 353
DO  - 10.1086/151352
ER  -

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