Virial Clumps in Central Molecular Zone Clouds

Abstract CMZoom survey observations with the Submillimeter Array are analyzed to describe virial equilibrium (VE) and star-forming potential of 755 clumps in 22 clouds Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) Milky Way. In each cloud, nearly all follow column density–mass trend N ∝ M s , where = 0.38 ± 0.03 is near pressure-bounded limit p 1/3. This expected when gravitationally unbound VE have similar velocity dispersion external pressure. Nine these also harbor one or two distinctly more massive clumps. These properties allow a model bound most clump has critical mass. models indicate that 213 1–2 km −1 mean pressure (0.5–4) × 10 8 cm −3 K, fraction 0.06, typical parameter α 4–15. mostly may be their turbulent cloud pressure, possibly driven by inflow from Galactic bar. contrast, Sgr B2 according associated sources – trends. When CMZ combined into mass distributions, power-law slope stopped accretion. It indicates cannot grow significantly, due timescales accretion dispersal, ∼0.2 Myr. Thus, dynamical analyses extensive census available star formation suppressed significant deficit