Star Formation Rates in the Galactic Center of the Milky Way

2020 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K13589
• Research Institution: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Principal Investigator: Lu Xing 国立天文台, アルマプロジェクト, 特任研究員 (40794425)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: Star Formation / Galactic Center

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

In FY2020, I published two papers based on ALMA observations of the Central Molecular Zone of our Milky Way (including one paper that was accepted in the previous fiscal year): Lu et al. 2020, ApJ Letters, 894, 14; Lu et al. 2021, ApJ, 909, 177). I found evidence of thermal Jeans fragmentation of 0.1-pc scale cores, and 43 protostellar outflows in clouds that were thought to be quiescent in terms of star formation. This is the first discovery of protostellar outflows outside of the Sgr B2 region in the Central Molecular Zone, although even taking these outflows into account, the star formation rates of these clouds are still lower than expected. These results were covered by ALMA research highlight, NAOJ news release, ALMA press release, Nature research highlight, NSF science news, etc.
I also gave a remote seminar talk at Nagoya University to introduce my research to domestic researchers and establish collaborations. I remotely attended the East Asia ALMA science workshop in February 2021 to present a talk about these results.

Remarks

One more website:
Universe Today news
https://www.universetoday.com/150762/there-are-new-stars-forming-near-the-core-of-the-milky-way-despite-the-harsh-environment/

Research Products

• [Journal Article] ALMA Observations of Massive Clouds in the Central Molecular Zone: Ubiquitous Protostellar Outflows (2021)
  • Author(s): Lu Xing、Li Shanghuo、Ginsburg Adam、Longmore Steven N.、Kruijssen J. M. Diederik、Walker Daniel L.、Feng Siyi、Zhang Qizhou、Battersby Cara、Pillai Thushara、Mills Elisabeth A. C.、Kauffmann Jens、Cheng Yu、Inutsuka Shu-ichiro
  • Journal Title: The Astrophysical Journal Volume: 909 Pages: 177～177
  • DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abde3c
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Star formation in ‘the Brick’: ALMA reveals an active protocluster in the Galactic centre cloud G0.253+0.016 (2021)
  • Author(s): Walker Daniel L、Longmore Steven N、Bally John、Ginsburg Adam、Diederik Kruijssen J M、Zhang Qizhou、Henshaw Jonathan D、Lu Xing、Alves Joao、Barnes Ashley T、Battersby Cara、Beuther Henrik、Contreras Yanett A、Gomez Laura、Ho Luis C、Jackson James M、Kauffmann Jens、Mills Elisabeth A C、Pillai Thushara
  • Journal Title: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Volume: 503 Pages: 77～95
  • DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stab415
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] ALMA Observations of Massive Clouds in the Central Molecular Zone: Jeans Fragmentation and Cluster Formation (2020)
  • Author(s): Lu Xing、Cheng Yu、Ginsburg Adam、Longmore Steven N.、Diederik Kruijssen J. M.、Battersby Cara、Zhang Qizhou、Walker Daniel L.
  • Journal Title: The Astrophysical Journal Letters Volume: 894 Pages: 14～14
  • DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ab8b65
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] CMZoom. II. Catalog of Compact Submillimeter Dust Continuum Sources in the Milky Way’s Central Molecular Zone (2020)
  • Author(s): Hatchfield H Perry、Battersby Cara、Keto Eric、Walker Daniel、Barnes Ashley、Callanan Daniel、Ginsburg Adam、Henshaw Jonathan D.、Kauffmann Jens、Kruijssen J. M. Diederik、Longmore Steve N.、Lu Xing、Mills Elisabeth A. C.、Pillai Thushara、Zhang Qizhou、et al.
  • Journal Title: The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series Volume: 251 Pages: 14～14
  • DOI: 10.3847/1538-4365/abb610
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Cloud-cloud collision as drivers of the chemical complexity in Galactic Centre molecular clouds (2020)
  • Author(s): Zeng S、Zhang Q、Jimenez-Serra I、Tercero B、Lu X、Martin-Pintado J、de Vicente P、Rivilla V M、Li S
  • Journal Title: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Volume: 497 Pages: 4896～4909
  • DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staa2187
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] CMZoom: Survey Overview and First Data Release (2020)
  • Author(s): Battersby Cara、Keto Eric、Walker Daniel、Barnes Ashley、Callanan Daniel、Ginsburg Adam、Hatchfield H Perry、Henshaw Jonathan、Kauffmann Jens、Kruijssen J. M. Diederik、Longmore Steven N.、Lu Xing、Mills Elisabeth A. C.、Pillai Thushara、Zhang Qizhou、et al.
  • Journal Title: The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series Volume: 249 Pages: 35～35
  • DOI: 10.3847/1538-4365/aba18e
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Deciphering Star Formation Enigmas in the Central Molecular Zone (2021)
  • Author(s): Xing Lu
  • Organizer: East Asian ALMA Science Workshop 2021
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Remarks] ALMA science highlight
  • URL: https://almascience.org/alma-science/science-highlight-almafinds- signatures-of-jeans-fragmentation-in-massive-clouds-around-the -galactic-center
• [Remarks] NAOJ new release
  • URL: https://www.nao.ac.jp/en/news/science/2021/20210329-alma.html
• [Remarks] ALMA press release
  • URL: https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/press-releases/stellar-eggs-near-galactic-center-hatching-into-baby-stars/
• [Remarks] Nature research highlights
  • URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00907-1
• [Remarks] NSF research news
  • URL: https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=302439