We present the first results of the new CO J = (2 − 1) observations toward the central molecular zone (CMZ) using the NANTEN2 telescope at an angular resolution of 100″. Large area coverage of 4° × 2° in l and b and a high angular resolution of 100″ enable us to investigate detailed structures of the molecular gas in the CMZ including peculiar molecular filaments perpendicularly to the Galactic plane to b > |0.5°|. The major components of the CMZ, e.g., Sgr A, Sgr B and Sgr C cloud complexes, show high CO J = (2 − 1)/J = (1 − 0) ratios around 0.9, indicating highly excited conditions of the molecular gas, while the local foreground components show less than 0.4. The molecular filaments show the typical ratios of 0.6–0.7 indicate that they are indeed located in the Galactic center.

The Galactic central black hole and the central cluster of young stars are surrounded by a clumpy gas disk (the circumnuclear disk, CND) that rotates about them at a distance of ≃ 1 pc. The gas in this warm, turbulent, magnetized disk is ultimately likely to migrate into the central cavity and fuel future star formation and black hole accretion. We have observed two fields of approximately 20″ × 20″ in the CND at NIR wavelengths with the OSIRIS integral-field spectrometer at Keck Observatory. These two fields are located at the interface between the neutral and the ionized regions. Our data cover two H2 lines as well as the Brγ line of the Hi spectrum. The signal-to-noise ratio per spatial pixel of each line varies considerably across the field and becomes quite low in some regions. In order to avoid degrading the spatial resolution, we have developed a novel three-dimensional method to analyze the data in terms of regularized parameter maps. The method proves very efficient in retrieving all the information contained in the spectral line emission while not degrading the spatial resolution. We present this new method to analyze 3D spectroscopic data and describe our preliminary results on the structure of the ionized-neutral interface.

Because of its large angular extent, the central molecular zone (CMZ) has to date only been mapped in the mm with single dish telescopes, with resolution about 30″ (1.4 pc). We present the first interferometric maps of a 90 × 50 pc region of the CMZ, with spatial resolution of ∼10″ (0.4 pc). We mapped ∼0.25 square degrees of the CMZ with CARMA in 3mm continuum and the spectral lines SiO J = (2 − 1), HCO+J = (1 − 0), HCN J = (1 − 0), N2H+J = (1 − 0), and CS J = (2 − 1), covering roughly VLSR = −200 to 200 km s−1 with spectral resolution ΔV ∼ 2.5 km s−1. To recover the large scale structure resolved out by the interferometer, the continuum-subtracted spectral line images were combined with the Mopra 22-m telescope survey.

Using the IRAM 30 m telescope, we perform a molecular line survey of the 3 and 2 mm wavelength ranges towards 5 selected positions in the Galactic center region, sampling shocked regions, ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray pervaded regions, and positions with rich organic chemistry. These surveys have the potential to be used as chemical templates for different types of activity, such as photodissociated regions (PDRs), shocks and X-ray dominated regions (XDRs). Complementary, molecular surveys done towards extragalactic nuclei, that are also dominated by these physical activities, were carried by our group.

We have detected 62 compact likely extragalactic sources in the Galactic center (GC) region at 0.154 and 0.255 GHz with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). Their scattering sizes go down linearly with angular distance from the GC up to about 1°. These are more than 10 times lower than the proposed Hyperstrong scattering model within 0.5° from the GC. We also detect 7 out of 10 EG sources expected in the region from existing catalogs. Ionized interfaces of dense molecular clouds to the ambient medium are likely responsible for strong scattering. However, dense GC clouds traced by CS J = (1 − 0) emission are found to have a narrow distribution of ∼0.2° across the Galactic plane. Lack of strong scattering towards EG sources within ∼ 0.5° from GC with |b| ≳ 0.2° could explain our results.

Polarimetry of the far infrared emission from magnetically-aligned interstellar grains is one of the best ways of studying the magnetic field at the Galactic center. We describe the HAWC+ instrument, under development for flight on SOFIA starting in 2015, which will provide a major advance in capability for these critically important measurements.

Using the Delingha 13.7 m telescope with a 9-beam SIS superconducting receiver installed, we carried out mapping of C18O and C17O J = (1 − 0) toward molecular clouds in the central molecular zone (CMZ) and in the halo of our galaxy. From the integrated intensity ratio of C18O to C17O, the isotope ratio 18O/17O ratio can be estimated, which is considered to be one of the most useful tracers of nuclear processing and metal enrichment. Here preliminary results are presented toward Sgr A, Sgr B2, Sgr C, Sgr D, and the 1.°3 complex in the CMZ and M+5.3–0.3 in the halo.

A new X-ray transient, XMMU J174505.3-291445, has been detected within the 2012 XMM-Newton scan of the Galactic center. The short 4.7 ks flare, the highly absorbed X-ray spectrum and the relatively low luminosity of the event suggest the association of the source with either the class of very faint X-ray transients or that of supergiant fast X-ray transients. Further analysis, together with the identification of the possible infrared counterpart will help to unveil the true nature of XMMU J174505.3-291445.

Radio continuum (cont) and radio recombination line (RRL) observations with the Yamaguchi 32-m radio telescope toward the lower part of the Galactic center lobe (GCL) in the Galactic center region are presented. While two ridges of the GCL were seen in both continuum and RRL images, the spatial coverage of the ridges of the continuum and RRL is not coincident. We distinguish the continuum emission of the GCL into thermal and non-thermal emission by assuming an electron temperature of the ionized gas of 4370 K, estimated based on the line width (14.1 km s−1). The thermal emission was found to be located inside and surrounded by the non-thermal emission.

The star formation rate in the central 500 pc of the Milky Way is lower by a factor of > 10 than expected for the substantial amount of dense gas it contains, which challenges current star formation theories. I discuss which physical mechanisms could be causing this observation and put forward a self-consistent cycle of star formation in the Galactic center, in which the plausible star formation inhibitors are combined. Their ubiquity suggests that the perception of a lowered central SFR should be a common phenomenon in other galaxies with direct implications for galactic star formation and also potentially supermassive black hole growth. I then describe a scenario to explain the presence of super star clusters in the Galactic center environment, in which their formation is triggered by gas streams passing close to the minimum of the global Galactic gravitational potential at the location of the central supermassive black hole, Sgr A*. If this triggering mechanism can be verified, we can use the known time interval since closest approach to Sgr A* to study the physics of stellar mass assembly in an extreme environment as a function of absolute time. I outline the first results from detailed numerical simulations testing this scenario. Finally, I describe a study showing that in terms of the baryonic composition, kinematics, and densities, the gas in the Galactic center is indistinguishable from high-redshift clouds and galaxies. As such, the Galactic center clouds may be used as a template to understand the evolution (and possibly the life cycle) of high-redshift clouds and galaxies.

We present a radio survey of molecules in a sample of Galactic center molecular clouds, including M0.25 + 0.01, the clouds near Sgr A, and Sgr B2. The molecules detected are primarily NH3 and HC3N; in Sgr B2-N we also detect non-metastable NH3, vibrationally-excited HC3N, torsionally-excited CH3OH, and numerous isotopologues of these species. 36 GHz Class I CH3OH masers are ubiquitous in these fields, and in several cases are associated with new NH3 (3,3) maser candidates. We also find that NH3 and HC3N are depleted or absent toward several of the highest dust column density peaks identified in submillimeter observations, which are associated with water masers and are thus likely in the early stages of star formation.

We aim at modeling small groups of young stars such as IRS 13N, 0.1 pc away from Sgr A*, which is suggested to contain a few embedded massive young stellar objects. We perform hydrodynamical simulations to follow the evolution of molecular clumps orbiting around a 4 × 106 M⊙ black hole, to constrain the formation and the physical conditions of such groups.

We find that the strong compression due to the black hole along the orbital radius vector of clumps evolving on highly eccentric orbits causes the clumps densities to increase to higher than the tidal density of Sgr A* and required for star formation. This suggests that the tidal compression from the black hole could support star formation.

Additionally, we speculate that the infrared excess source G2/DSO approaching Sgr A* on a highly eccentric orbit could be associated with a dust enshrouded star that may have been formed recently through the mechanism supported by our models.

We report on the detection of 36 and 44 GHz Class I methanol (CH3OH) maser emission in the Sagittarius A (Sgr A) complex with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). These VLA observations show that the Sgr A complex harbors at least three different maser tracers of shocked regions in the radio regime. The 44 GHz masers correlate with the positions and velocities of previously detected 36 GHz CH3OH masers, but less with 1720 MHz OH masers. Our detections agree with theoretical predictions that the densities and temperatures conducive for 1720 MHz OH masers may also produce 36 and 44 GHz CH3OH maser emission. However, many 44 GHz masers do not overlap with 36 GHz methanol masers, suggesting that 44 GHz masers also arise in regions too hot and too dense for 36 GHz masers to form. This agrees with the non-detection of 1720 MHz OH masers in the same area, which are thought to be excited under even cooler and less dense conditions. We speculate that the geometry of the 36 GHz masers outlines the current location of a shock front.

We find a convex-like feature at a distance of 0.68 pc (17″) from the position of the supermassive black hole, Sgr A*, at the center of the nuclear stellar cluster. This feature resembles a stellar bow shock with a symmetry axis pointing to the center. We discuss the possible nature of the feature and the implications of its alignment with other dusty comet-like objects inside the central parsec.

The Galactic center contains strong magnetic fields, high radiation fields, and dense molecular gas, as is also the case in starburst galaxies. The close proximity of the Galactic center allows for more and better observations of the interstellar medium than for extragalactic sources making it an ideal place for testing models for cosmic ray interactions. We compare our semi-analytic model for cosmic ray interactions to published data for both the Galactic center and the starburst galaxy NGC 253. We present the predicted radio and γ-ray spectra and compare the results with published measurements. In this way we provide a quantitative basis for assessing the degree to which the Galactic center resembles a starburst system.

Methanol masers can be used to constrain densities and estimate kinematical distances to supernova remnants (SNRs), important parameters in cosmic ray acceleration models. With the goal of testing those models both for SNRs inside and outside the Galactic center (GC) region, we have used the Very Large Array to search for 36 GHz and 44 GHz methanol lines in Galactic SNRs. We report on the overall results of the maser search, and in particular the results of the GC SNR G1.4–0.1 in which more than 40 masers were found. They may be due to interactions between the SNR and at least two separate molecular clouds. Methanol masers were also detected in W28 and in Sgr A East.

The central molecular zone (CMZ) in the central half kpc of the Milky Way is a massive concentration of molecular gas in the center of a barred spiral galaxy. Current and past activities in the Galactic center include the formation of massive stars/clusters, AGN feeding, and feedback. At the same time, observations of molecular gas in external galaxies show that many disk galaxies have similar condensations of molecular gas in their central kpc or so. They also have CMZs, or nuclear molecular rings or concentrations in more common terms among extragalactic observers. The formation of the CMZs are often, but not always, related to stellar bars. The centers of nearby galaxies can provide valuable information on the general properties of galactic centers and CMZs through comparative studies of multiple galactic centers of different characteristics from various viewing angles. Linear resolutions achieved toward nearby extragalactic CMZs with modern radio interferometers are now comparable to those achieved toward the Galactic CMZ with small single-dish telescopes. I review and present work on the formation mechanism and properties of the CMZs in external galaxies with some comparisons with the CMZ of our Galaxy.

We modeled numerically the infall of a small satellite galaxy on to the inner 200 parsec of our Galaxy, to test whether such an event perturbs gas orbiting in the central molecular zone (CMZ), as recently proposed by Lang et al. (2013). This process could have driven a large gas inflow around 10 Myr ago, explaining the past high accretion rate onto the supermassive black hole, and the presence of young stars in the inner parsecs of the Galaxy. Our simulations show a very small inflow of gas, not sufficient to produce the aforementioned effects.

We present the dependence of the amount of nuclear star formation on the non-axisymmetry of a bulge of disk galaxies. For this, we use a volume-limited sample of spiral galaxies at 0.02 < = z < 0.055 from the SDSS DR7. Among 3173 final sample galaxies with an axis ratio b/a > 0.6 and a bulge fraction ranged in B/T <= 0.41, nuclear starburst galaxies are 10%. We find that a fraction of the nuclear starburst galaxies become higher when ellipticity of a bulge increases in early type galaxies. Also, the fraction increases clearly when early type galaxies are isolated and in low density region. Our results indicate that the non-axisymmetry of bulges assists gas to fall inside and affects the nuclear starburst process in disk galaxies.

We present the hierarchical structure of the gas and its rapid evolution in the central region of a simulation of the entire Milky Way, run at subparsec resolution. We emphasize the coupling between the kpc-scale dynamics, the molecular ring and the central 5 pc disk feeding the supermassive black hole.