Ionized gas at the edge of the Central Molecular Zone

Abstract

To determine the properties of the ionized gas at the edge of the CMZ near Sgr E we observed a small portion of the edge of the CMZ near Sgr E with spectrally resolved [C II] 158 micron and [N II] 205 micron fine structure lines at six positions with the GREAT instrument on SOFIA and in [C II] using Herschel HIFI on-the-fly strip maps. We use the [N II] spectra along with a radiative transfer model to calculate the electron density of the gas and the [C II] maps to illuminate the morphology of the ionized gas and model the column density of CO-dark H2. We detect two [C II] and [N II] velocity components, one along the line of sight to a CO molecular cloud at -207 km/s associated with Sgr E and the other at -174 km/s outside the edge of another CO cloud. From the [N II] emission we find that the average electron density is in the range of about 5 to 25 cm{-3} for these features. This electron density is much higher than that of the warm ionized medium in the disk. The column density of the CO-dark H${}_2$ layer in the -207 km/s cloud is about 1-2X10{21} cm{-2} in agreement with theoretical models. The CMZ extends further out in Galactic radius by 7 to 14 pc in ionized gas than it does in molecular gas traced by CO. The edge of the CMZ likely contains dense hot ionized gas surrounding the neutral molecular material. The high fractional abundance of N+ and high electron density require an intense EUV field with a photon flux of order 1e6 to 1e7 photons cm{-2} s{-1}, and/or efficient proton charge exchange with nitrogen, at temperatures of order 1e4 K, and/or a large flux of X-rays. Sgr E is a region of massive star formation which are a potential sources of the EUV radiation that can ionize the gas. In addition X-ray sources and the diffuse X-ray emission in the CMZ are candidates for ionizing nitrogen.

12 pages, 9 figures

References in corpus (8)

• Early Science with SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
• GREAT: the SOFIA high-frequency heterodyne instrument
• Spatial distribution of interstellar gas in the innermost 3 kpc of our Galaxy
• A Catalog of X-ray Point Sources from Two Megaseconds of Chandra Observations of the Galactic Center
• GREAT/SOFIA atmospheric calibration
• Infrared H3+ and CO Studies of the Galactic Core: GCIRS 3 and GCIRS 1W
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• Is There Enhanced Depletion of Gas-Phase Nitrogen in Moderately Reddened Lines of Sight?

Cited by in corpus (6)

• The Central 300 pc of the Galaxy probed by infrared spectra of H${}_3^{+}$ and CO: part I. Predominance of warm and diffuse gas and high H${}_2$ ionization rate
• Kinematics and properties of the Central Molecular Zone as probed with [C II]
• Unusual Galactic HII Regions at the Intersection of the Central Molecular Zone and the Far Dust Lane
• Evolution of Supernova Remnants near the Galactic Center
• The Dense Warm Ionized Medium in the Inner Galaxy
• Ionized gas in the Scutum spiral arm as traced in [N II] and [C II]