Bα and Ne II line spectroscopy in the vicinity of the Galactic center source IRS 16

Bα(4.05μm) and (Ne II) (12.81 μm) line spectra at spatial resolutions of ~3" and spectral resolutions of 80 km s^(−1) have been obtained on a grid of positions surrounding IRS 16, which may be at the Galactic center. The Bα and (Ne II) line profiles agree within the uncertainties and neither set of spectra shows evidence of ionized gas associated with IRS 16 over a velocity range of −500 to +450 km s^(−1). A spectrum of Bα from an 8" beam centered on IRS 16 and covering −7500 to +6500 km s^(−1) with 500 km s^(−1) resolution shows marginal evidence for a broad‐line component. These data imply that no concentration of moderate velocity gas (|v|<300 km s−^(1)) is directly associated with IRS 16 and that the ionized gas near IRS 16 is for the most part neither very dense nor of very high velocity.