Disruption of a massive molecular cloud by a supernova in the Galactic Centre

The Milky Way’s Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) differs dramatically from our local solar neighbourhood, both in the extreme interstellar medium conditions it exhibits (e.g. high gas, stellar, and feedback density) and in the strong dynamics at play (e.g. due to shear and gas influx along the bar). Consequently, it is likely that there are large-scale physical structures within the CMZ that cannot form elsewhere in the Milky Way. In this paper, we present new results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) large programme ACES (ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey) and conduct a multi-wavelength and kinematic analysis to determine the origin of the M0.8–0.2 ring, a molecular cloud with a distinct ring-like morphology. We estimate the projected inner and outer radii of the M0.8–0.2 ring to be 79″ and 154″, respectively (3.1 pc and 6.1 pc at an assumed Galactic Centre distance of 8.2 kpc) and calculate a mean gas density >10 4 cm −3 , a mass of ~10 6 M ⊙ , and an expansion speed of ~20 km s −1 , resulting in a high estimated kinetic energy (>10 51 erg) and momentum (>10 7 M ⊙ km s −1 ). We discuss several possible causes for the existence and expansion of the structure, including stellar feedback and large-scale dynamics. We propose that the most likely cause of the M0.8–0.2 ring is a single high-energy hypernova explosion. To viably explain the observed morphology and kinematics, such an explosion would need to have taken place inside a dense, very massive molecular cloud, the remnants of which we now see as the M0.8–0.2 ring. In this case, the structure provides an extreme example of how supernovae can affect molecular clouds.

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Publication Details

Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Published
2024-09-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202451190
Citations
6
Primary Topic
Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.03

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article

Disruption of a massive molecular cloud by a supernova in the Galactic Centre

Volker Tolls, J. Bally, Jairo Armijos-Abendaño, Laura Colzi et al.
6 citations
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates
2.03
article

Disruption of a massive molecular cloud by a supernova in the Galactic Centre

Volker Tolls, J. Bally, Jairo Armijos-Abendaño, Laura Colzi, Yue Hu, Fengwei Xu, J. E. Pineda, F. Nogueras-Lara, C. Battersby, J. Wallace, Maya A. Petkova, R.S. Klessen, V. M. Rivilla, A. Ginsburg, Miriam G. Santa-Maria, J. M. Diederik Kruijssen, Ashley T. Barnes, M. C. Sormani, Michael Burton, Á. Sánchez-Monge, Xing Lu, Daniel L. Walker, S. Martín, Natalie C. Butterfield, Elisabeth A. C. Mills, K. Immer, G M Williams, Q. Daniel Wang, Steven N. Longmore, Fu-Heng Liang, J. D. Henshaw, Izaskun Jiménez-Serra, Yoshiaki Sofue, M. Nonhebel, H. A. Smith
article en
6 citations

Abstract

The Milky Way’s Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) differs dramatically from our local solar neighbourhood, both in the extreme interstellar medium conditions it exhibits (e.g. high gas, stellar, and feedback density) and in the strong dynamics at play (e.g. due to shear and gas influx along the bar). Consequently, it is likely that there are large-scale physical structures within the CMZ that cannot form elsewhere in the Milky Way. In this paper, we present new results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) large programme ACES (ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey) and conduct a multi-wavelength and kinematic analysis to determine the origin of the M0.8–0.2 ring, a molecular cloud with a distinct ring-like morphology. We estimate the projected inner and outer radii of the M0.8–0.2 ring to be 79″ and 154″, respectively (3.1 pc and 6.1 pc at an assumed Galactic Centre distance of 8.2 kpc) and calculate a mean gas density >10 4 cm −3 , a mass of ~10 6 M ⊙ , and an expansion speed of ~20 km s −1 , resulting in a high estimated kinetic energy (>10 51 erg) and momentum (>10 7 M ⊙ km s −1 ). We discuss several possible causes for the existence and expansion of the structure, including stellar feedback and large-scale dynamics. We propose that the most likely cause of the M0.8–0.2 ring is a single high-energy hypernova explosion. To viably explain the observed morphology and kinematics, such an explosion would need to have taken place inside a dense, very massive molecular cloud, the remnants of which we now see as the M0.8–0.2 ring. In this case, the structure provides an extreme example of how supernovae can affect molecular clouds.

Astronomy and AstrophysicsVol. 691
University of Insubria (IT), AOL (United States) (US), European Southern Observatory (DE), University of Connecticut (US), University of Kansas (US), Aberystwyth University (GB), University of St Andrews (GB), University of Cologne (DE), University of Colorado Boulder (US), Peking University (CN), Heidelberg University (DE), University of Massachusetts Amherst (US), National Radio Astronomy Observatory (US), Atacama Large Millimeter Submillimeter Array (CL), Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (CN), Universidad Católica del Norte (CL), University of Manchester (GB), University of Florida (US), Institute for Advanced Study (US), University of Oxford (GB), Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (DE), Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (ES), Kavli Institute for Theoretical Sciences (CN), Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (DE), Institute of Space Sciences (ES), Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US), Centro de Astrobiología (ES), European Southern Observatory (CL), Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ES), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (JP), National Astronomical Observatories (CN), Technical University of Munich (DE), Liverpool John Moores University (GB), Chalmers University of Technology (SE), National Polytechnic School (EC), The University of Tokyo (JP), Cardiff University (GB)
National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Royal Society, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Science and Technology Facilities Council, European Research Council, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Horizon 2020, European Regional Development Fund
Openalex Percentile: Top 13%
Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates
2.03
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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