English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

The central kpc of the Milky Way might be expected to differ significantlyfrom the rest of the Galaxy with regard to gas dynamics and the formation ofYSOs. We probe this possibility with mid-infrared observations obtained withIRAC and MIPS on Spitzer and with MSX. We use color-color diagrams and SED fitsto explore the nature of YSO candidates (including objects with 4.5 micronexcesses possibly due to molecular emission). There is an asymmetry in thedistribution of the candidate YSOs, which tend to be found at negative Galacticlongitudes; this behavior contrasts with that of the molecular gas,approximately 2/3 of which is at positive longitudes. The small scale height ofthese objects suggests that they are within the Galactic center region and aredynamically young. They lie between two layers of infrared dark clouds and mayhave originated from these clouds. We identify new sites for this recent starformation. The methanol masers appear to be associated with young, embeddedYSOs characterized by 4.5 micron excesses. We use the SEDs of these sources toestimate their physical characteristics. Within the central 400x50 pc(|l|<1.3\degr and |b|<10') the star formation rate based on the identificationof Stage I evolutionary phase of YSO candidates is about 0.14 solar mass/yr. Wesuggest that a recent burst of star formation took place within the last 10^5years. This suggestion is also consistent with estimates of star formationrates within the last ~10^7 years showing a peak around 10^5 years ago. Lastly,we find that the Schmidt-Kennicutt Law applies well in the central 400 pc ofthe Galaxy. This implies that star formation does not appear to be dramaticallyaffected by the extreme physical conditions in the Galactic center region.

Star Formation in the Central 400 pc of the Milky Way: Evidence for a Population of Massive YSOs