Abstract
ABSTRACT We mapped the high-velocity compact cloud CO–0.40–0.22 in 21 molecular lines in the 3 mm band using the Nobeyama Radio Observatory 45 m radio telescope. Eighteen lines were detected from CO–0.40–0.22. The map of each detected line shows that this cloud has a compact appearance (d ≃ 3 pc) and extremely broad velocity width (ΔV ≃ 100 km s−1). The mass and kinetic energy of CO–0.40–0.22 are estimated to be 103.6 M ⊙ and 1049.7 erg, respectively. The representative position–velocity map along the major axis shows that CO–0.40–0.22 consists of an intense region with a shallow velocity gradient and a less intense high-velocity wing. Here, we show that this kinematical structure can be attributed to a gravitational kick to the molecular cloud caused by an invisible compact object with a mass of ∼105 M ⊙. Its compactness and the absence of counterparts at other wavelengths suggest that this massive object is an intermediate-mass black hole.
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