title: Molecular loops in the galactic center: evidence for magnetic flotation.
abstract: The central few hundred parsecs of the Milky Way host a massive black hole and exhibit very violent gas motion and high temperatures in molecular gas. The origin of these properties has been a mystery for the past four decades. Wide-field imaging of the (12)CO (rotational quantum number J = 1 to 0) 2.6-millimeter spectrum has revealed huge loops of dense molecular gas with strong velocity dispersions in the galactic center. We present a magnetic flotation model to explain that the formation of the loops is due to magnetic buoyancy caused by the Parker instability. The model has the potential to offer a coherent explanation for the origin of the violent motion and extensive heating of the molecular gas in the galactic center.
authors.affiliation: Department of Astrophysics, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan. fukui@a.phys.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Motosuji
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujishita
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Kazufumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nozawa
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Ryoji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Machida
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yonekura
authors.forename: Norikazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Toshikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizuno