Abstract
High signal-to-noise 50- and 90-micron continuum maps of the central 5 x
4 arcmin of the Galaxy made from observations on the Kuiper Airborne
Observatory are presented. Dust and luminosity distribution models which
are consistent with the data are presented. These data are consistent
with a flared disk of dust, centered on the position of Sgr A*, having a
central cavity wth a radius of 1 pc. Strong evidence is found for a
large amount of dust between the northern and eastern ionized arms
located within the cavity. It is argued that this 'tongue' of dust is
optically thick at UV and visible wavelengths. Both smooth and clumped
dust distributions, consistent with the disk and central cavity, are
considered. For the smooth distribution, the dust heating is found to be
consistent with the data only for a central UV source of a few x 10 exp
6 solar luminosities.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 189-211 |
Journal | The Astrophysical Journal |
Volume | 387 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 1992 |