FIRST SPECTROSCOPIC IDENTIFICATION OF MASSIVE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN THE GALACTIC CENTER

Journal Article · Thu Sep 10 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Astrophysical Journal (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/702/2/L128; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)· OSTI ID:21336012

An, Deokkeun; Boogert, A C. Adwin ^[1]; RamIrez, Solange V ^[2]; Sellgren, Kris ^[3]; Arendt, Richard G ^[4]; Schultheis, Mathias ^[5]; Stolovy, Susan R ^[6]; Cotera, Angela S ^[7]; Robitaille, Thomas P

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1. Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Mail Stop 100-22, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
2. NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, California Institute of Technology, Mail Stop 100-22, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
3. Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)
4. CRESST/UMBC/GSFC, Code 665, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
5. Observatoire de Besancon, 41 bis, avenue de l'Observatoire, F-25000 Besancon (France)
6. Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Mail Code 220-6, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
7. SETI Institute, 515 North Whisman Road, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States)

We report the detection of several molecular gas-phase and ice absorption features in three photometrically selected young stellar object (YSO) candidates in the central 280 pc of the Milky Way. Our spectra, obtained with the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope, reveal gas-phase absorption from CO{sub 2} (15.0 {mu}m), C{sub 2}H{sub 2} (13.7 {mu}m), and HCN (14.0 {mu}m). We attribute this absorption to warm, dense gas in massive YSOs. We also detect strong and broad 15 {mu}m CO{sub 2} ice absorption features, with a remarkable double-peaked structure. The prominent long-wavelength peak is due to CH{sub 3}OH-rich ice grains, and is similar to those found in other known massive YSOs. Our IRS observations demonstrate the youth of these objects, and provide the first spectroscopic identification of massive YSOs in the Galactic Center.

• OSTI ID: 21336012
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal (Online), Vol. 702, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/702/2/L128; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1538-4357
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ABSORPTION
CARBON DIOXIDE
HYDROCYANIC ACID
ICE
METHANOL
MILKY WAY
MOLECULES
STARS
TELESCOPES