Clump 1: An Unusual Molecular Cloud Complex Near The Galactic Center.
01 January 1986
The "Clump 1" molecular cloud complex near the galactic center at (l,b,v)~(355degrees,+0.4degrees,+100 km s(-1) has been studied with the J=1->0 rotational transitions of (12)CO and (13)CO. Maps made over an 84' x 54' region in this direction show forbidden- velocity molecular gas distributed in a complex of individual clouds. Most of the emission at LSR velocities greater than 20 km s(-1) is produced by three large clouds at velocities of +68, +85, and +100 km s(-1). These objects show the largest non-circular kinematics of any molecular clouds in the Milky Way. The +100 km s(-1) Clump 1 cloud is heated by the galactic HII region G354.67 +0.25 whereas the other two clouds show no evidence that they contain any ionized gas at all. Clump 1 probably is ~ 11.4 kpc. (R(o)/8.5 kpc) from the Sun. Its (13)CO size is 42 pc x 72 pc and it has an H(2) mass of 9.4 +- 5.8 x 10(5) M(solar). All the clouds in the complex are bound, although their outer envelopes may be tidally disrupted by the galactic potential.