GBT24B-320

A Follow-up GBT Survey for OH in the Milky Way's Nuclear Wind

Abstract

The nuclear wind of our Galaxy is driving a large-scale, multiphase galactic wind powered by either Sag A* or by star formation feedback. In the past few years, the GBT has played a pivotal role in the investigation of the cold neutral phase of the outflow, discovering more than 200 high-velocity clouds that are being ejected from the Galactic Center. Recently, dense molecular gas has also been found in a sample of these clouds thanks to the detection of the CO(2-1) emission line with the APEX telescope. A full characterization of the thermodynamical properties of these clouds is currently undergoing and this proposal will add an important piece of information. Here we build on the exploratory pilot survey of AGBT23A-132, which tentatively detected 18cm OH in 'MW-C1' and significantly detected 18cm OH in 'MW-C2'. Building off of the success of the pilot survey, we are requesting OH observations towards CO(2-1) detected molecular clouds in the Nuclear Wind. This will give us a second tool in determining the molecular fraction of these clouds, help constrain chemical models and build a statistical sample of molecular clouds to ascertain how cloud properties evolve with height from the center of the Galaxy.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Michael Busch *	California at San Diego, University of
Jay Lockman	Green Bank Observatory
Naomi McClure-Griffiths	Australian National University
Enrico Di Teodoro	Firenze, Università degli Studi di
Lucia Armillotta	Princeton University
Karlie Noon	Australian National University

* indicates the PI