The Transient Dynamics of the Turbulent Central Molecular Zone

The Central Molecular Zone, which spans up to about 500 pc around the center of our Galaxy, consists of a turbulent and complex gaseous environment predominantly in the form of relatively dense molecular gas. Here we explore the effect of turbulence on the gas dynamics of this region. We use Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics simulations, which include self-gravity and a recipe for turbulence driving, to follow the long-term evolution of the gas in the rotating bar potential of the Galaxy. We find that before the system reaches a steady state, a twisted ring is formed, similar to the observed one. As expected, this feature later dissipates leaving a smooth gaseous disk. We also find that the average densities resulting from our simulations are, in the absence of major perturbations, consistent with the observed ones. Our results suggest that the current gas in the Central Molecular Zone is not in a steady state.