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KAO and AAT observations of the Galactic Center filamentsWe have used the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) and the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) to investigate the nature of the filamentary radio emission from the Galactic center region. KAO observations of the FIR line and continuum emission from the radio peak G0.095+0.012 and the E2 thermal radio filament northeast of the Galactic center can be produced by numerous nearby stars with T(sub eff) approx. 35,000 K; these can account for both the FIR luminosity and the excitation of the gas. Much of the FIR continuum and most of the strong (Si II) (34.8 micron) line emission are probably produced in the ionized gas of the filament. The FIR (O III) 52 and 88 micron lines imply an electron density of a few hundred; when compared with the radio emission measure, this implies the filament is roughly tubular or somewhat flattened in the plane of the sky. The (O III) and (S III) lines show higher excitation associated with the filament, and suggest that exciting stars may be located within the filaments and/or southeast of the E2 filament. AAT observations in the near infrared (NIR) in fact reveal a nearby cluster of hot stars southeast of the E2 filament. Additional hot stars, not identifiable from their NIR spectra, are likely to be present. These stars and those in the cluster can plausibly produce the observed radio and FIR emission in the region. The morphology of the filament is not explained by existing information however.
Document ID
19960003680
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Erickson, Edwin F.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Colgan, Sean W. J.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Simpson, Janet P.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Rubin, Robert H.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Haas, Michael R.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Morris, M.
(California Univ. Los Angeles, CA., United States)
Cotera, A. S.
(Stanford Univ. CA., United States)
Allen, David A.
(Anglo-Australian Observatory Epping, Australia)
Burton, Michael G.
(New South Wales Univ. Kensington, Australia)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Airborne Astronomy Symposium on the Galactic Ecosystem: From Gas to Stars to Dust, Volume 73
Subject Category
Astronomy
Accession Number
96N13690
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NCC2-647
CONTRACT_GRANT: NCC2-548
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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