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 McGary_gcnews.tex ApJ, 2001, in press
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\begin{document}
 
\title{NH\3 in the Central 10 pc of the Galaxy I: General Morphology and Kinematic Connections Between the CND and GMCs}
 
\author{
Robeson S. McGary\altaffilmark{1},
Alison L. Coil\altaffilmark{2}, and
Paul T.P. Ho\altaffilmark{1}}

\altaffiltext{1}{Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, \\rmcgary@cfa.harvard.edu, pho@cfa.harvard.edu}
 \altaffiltext{2}{Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, acoil@astro.berkeley.edu}


%\slugcomment{Draft of 26 April 2001}

\singlespace

\begin{abstract}

New VLA images of NH\3 (1,1), (2,2), and (3,3) emission in the central
10 parsecs of the Galaxy trace filamentary streams of gas, several of
which appear to feed the circumnuclear disk (CND).  The NH\3 images
have a spatial resolution of $16.5''\times14.5''$ and have better
spatial sampling than previous NH\3 observations.  The images show the
``southern streamer,'' ``50 km s$^{-1}$ cloud,'' and new features
including a ``western streamer'', 6 parsecs in length, and a
``northern ridge'' which connects to the CND.  NH\3(3,3) emission is
very similar to 1.2 mm dust emission indicating that NH\3 traces
column density well.  Ratios of the NH\3(2,2) to (1,1) line
intensities give an estimate of the temperature of the gas and
indicate high temperatures close to the nucleus and CND.  The new data
cover a velocity range of 270 km s$^{-1}$, including all velocities
observed in the CND, with a resolution of 9.8 km s$^{-1}$.  Previous
NH\3 observations with higher resolution did not cover the entire
range of velocities seen in the CND.  The large-scale kinematics of
the CND do not resemble a coherent ring or disk. We see evidence for a
high velocity cloud within a projected distance of 50$''$ (2 pc) which
is only seen in NH\3(3,3) and is likely to be hot.  Comparison to 6 cm
continuum emission reveals that much of the NH\3 emission traces the
outer edges of Sgr A East and was probably pushed outward by this
expanding shell.  The connection between the northern ridge (which
appears to be swept up by Sgr A East) and the CND indicates that Sgr A
East and the CND are in close proximity to each other.  Kinematic
evidence for these connections is presented in this paper, while the
full kinematic analysis of the central 10 pc will be presented in
Paper II.
 
\end{abstract}

\keywords{Galaxy: center --- ISM:clouds ---ISM:molecules --- radio lines:ISM}

\noindent
 

\end{document}