A Brief Update on the CMZoom Survey

TL;DR

The CMZoom survey provides high-resolution submillimeter observations of the Central Molecular Zone, revealing dense cores and star formation sites in the Milky Way's extreme environment.

Contribution

This paper reports the first large-area, high-resolution survey of the CMZ in dust and spectral lines, combining SMA and single-dish data for detailed star formation analysis.

Findings

Identification of dense cores in the CMZ

Detection of embedded star formation signatures

High-resolution mapping of dense gas regions

Abstract

The inner few hundred parsecs of the Milky Way, the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), is our closest laboratory for understanding star formation in the extreme environments (hot, dense, turbulent gas) that once dominated the universe. We present an update on the first large-area survey to expose the sites of star formation across the CMZ at high-resolution in submillimeter wavelengths: the CMZoom survey with the Submillimeter Array (SMA). We identify the locations of dense cores and search for signatures of embedded star formation. CMZoom is a three-year survey in its final year and is mapping out the highest column density regions of the CMZ in dust continuum and a variety of spectral lines around 1.3 mm. CMZoom combines SMA compact and subcompact configurations with single-dish data from BGPS and the APEX telescope, achieving an angular resolution of about 4" (0.2 pc) and good image fidelity up to large spatial scales.