Search for super star clusters and intermediate-mass black holes in the depths of our Galaxy

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24540236
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: OKA Tomoharu 慶應義塾大学, 理工学部, 教授 (10291056)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 銀河系中心 / 巨大星団 / ブラックホール

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project intends to detect super star clusters (SSC) and intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) deeply embedded in the Galactic center region, based on large-scale surveys of the millimeter and sumillimeter-wave molecular line. During the three years project period, we succeeded to obtain huge data sets approximately as planned. Detailed mapping observations for the selected targets have unveiled two dozens of embedded SSCs and several candidates for IMBHs. In addition, we achieved a number of results: (1) revealing the chemical compositions in the Galactic circumnuclear disk, (2) discovery of the "pigtail" molecular cloud, (3) precise measurement of non dissociative shock in the W44 supernova remnant, and (4) understanding the formation process of the Tornado nebula.

Free Research Field

電波天文学