Millimeter continuum observations of Galactic center giant molecular cloud cores

Results are presented of observations of 1.3- and 0.8-mm continuum emission toward the cores of three Galactic center molecular clouds with ongoing massive star formation, Sagittarius B2, C, and D, which were made in order to study possible variations in the high-mass star formation rate per unit mass between the Galactic center and the disk. The luminosity-to-mass ratio, based on the mass estimates derived from the millimeter continuum emission, is used as a tracer of the high-mass star formation rate in GMC cores. The magnitude of errors involved in using millimeter continuum emission for determining the core mass is estimated through radiative transfer modeling. It is inferred from the present millimeter data, along with previously published far-infrared data, that the Sgr C and D cores are very similar in terms of mean dust optical depth and temperature. The luminosity-to-mass ratios derived for the Sgr C and D cores are found to be consistent with those of typical disk GMC cores with comparable far-infrared luminosities.