ALMA observations of massive clouds in the central molecular zone: slim filaments tracing parsec-scale shocks

The central molecular zone (CMZ) of our Galaxy exhibits widespread emission from SiO and various complex organic molecules (COMs), yet the exact origin of such emission is uncertain. Here we report the discovery of a unique class of long (>0.5 pc) and narrow (<0.03 pc) filaments in the emission of SiO 5–4 and eight additional molecular lines, including several COMs, in our ALMA 1.3 mm spectral line observations toward two massive molecular clouds in the CMZ, which we name as slim filaments. However, these filaments are not detected in the 1.3 mm continuum at the 5 σ level. Their line-of-sight velocities are coherent and inconsistent with being outflows. The column densities and relative abundances of the detected molecules are statistically similar to those in protostellar outflows but different from those in dense cores within the same clouds. Turbulent pressure in these filaments dominates over self gravity and leads to hydrostatic inequilibrium, indicating that they are a different class of objects than the dense gas filaments in dynamical equilibrium ubiquitously found in nearby molecular clouds. We argue that these newly detected slim filaments are associated with parsec-scale shocks, likely arising from dynamic interactions between shock waves and molecular clouds. The dissipation of the slim filaments may replenish SiO and COMs in the interstellar medium and lead to their widespread emission in the CMZ.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Published
2025-01-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202453191
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.15

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

ALMA observations of massive clouds in the central molecular zone: slim filaments tracing parsec-scale shocks

Xindi Tang, Tie Liu, Jens Kauffmann, Xunchuan Liu et al.
1 citations
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
1.15
article

ALMA observations of massive clouds in the central molecular zone: slim filaments tracing parsec-scale shocks

Xindi Tang, Tie Liu, Jens Kauffmann, Xunchuan Liu, Zhi-Qiang Shen, Hauyu Baobab Liu, Yu Cheng, J. M. Diederik Kruijssen, Xing Lu, Daniel L. Walker, Qiuyi Luo, Hai-Hua Qiao, Keping Qiu, Cara Battersby, Elisabeth A. C. Mills, Shu‐ichiro Inutsuka, Steven N. Longmore, Kai Yang, Qilao Gu, T. Pillai, Siyi Feng, Adam Ginsburg, Yichen Zhang, Qizhou Zhang, Shanghuo Li
article en
1 citations

Abstract

The central molecular zone (CMZ) of our Galaxy exhibits widespread emission from SiO and various complex organic molecules (COMs), yet the exact origin of such emission is uncertain. Here we report the discovery of a unique class of long (>0.5 pc) and narrow (<0.03 pc) filaments in the emission of SiO 5–4 and eight additional molecular lines, including several COMs, in our ALMA 1.3 mm spectral line observations toward two massive molecular clouds in the CMZ, which we name as slim filaments. However, these filaments are not detected in the 1.3 mm continuum at the 5 σ level. Their line-of-sight velocities are coherent and inconsistent with being outflows. The column densities and relative abundances of the detected molecules are statistically similar to those in protostellar outflows but different from those in dense cores within the same clouds. Turbulent pressure in these filaments dominates over self gravity and leads to hydrostatic inequilibrium, indicating that they are a different class of objects than the dense gas filaments in dynamical equilibrium ubiquitously found in nearby molecular clouds. We argue that these newly detected slim filaments are associated with parsec-scale shocks, likely arising from dynamic interactions between shock waves and molecular clouds. The dissipation of the slim filaments may replenish SiO and COMs in the interstellar medium and lead to their widespread emission in the CMZ.

Astronomy and AstrophysicsVol. 694
National Science Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Science and Technology Facilities Council, National Key Research and Development Program of China, H2020 European Research Council
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 22%
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
1.15
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.