Abstract
The distribution of Si II emission in the Galactic center has been measured and found to extend beyond 4 pc from the center. The observed forbidden Si II 34.8 micron line, which is thermally excited by H I and H2 collisions, originates from the photodissociation region formed in the neutral gas ring surrounding the ionized core. Two peaks in the Si II emission are found, one lying 20 arcsec northeast of Sgr A-asterisk along the Galactic plane and the other located about 80 arcsec north of Sgr A-asterisk. The latter peak is located beyond the northern arm seen in the ionized gas. The ratio of Si II to dust mass density varies in the ring, indicating changes in the gas-to-dust ratio. The mass density of Si II and dust are anticorrelated, indicating that Si II tracks the destruction of dust.
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