Ojha, RoopeshStark, Antony A.Hsieh, Henry H.Lane, Adair P.Chamberlin, Richard A.Bania, Thomas M.Bolatto, Alberto D.Jackson, James M.Wright, Gregory A.2020-03-302020-03-302001-02-10Roopesh Ojha, Antony A. Stark, Henry H. Hsieh, Adair P. Lane, Richard A. Chamberlin, Thomas M. Bania, Alberto D. Bolatto, James M. Jackson, and Gregory A. Wright,Vol #548,2001,AST/RO Observations of Atomic Carbon near the Galactic Center,https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/318693http://hdl.handle.net/11603/17757http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-ref?querymethod=bib&simbo=on&submit=submit+bibcode&bibcode=2001ApJ...548..253OWe present a coarsely sampled map of the region |l| ≤ 2°, |b| ≤ 0°1 in the 492 GHz (³P₁ → ³P₀) fine-structure transition of neutral carbon, observed with the Antarctic Submillimeter Telescope and Remote Observatory (AST/RO). The distribution of [C I] emission is similar on the large scale to that of CO J = 1 → 0. On average, the ratio of the integrated intensities, I[C I]/I¹²ᴄᴏ, is higher in the Galactic disk than in the Galactic center region. This result is accounted for by the absorption of ¹²CO within the clouds located in the outer Galactic disk. The ratio I[C I]/I¹²ᴄᴏ is surprisingly uniform over the variety of environments near the Galactic center. On average, [C I] is optically thin [or as optically thin as ¹³CO (J = 1 → 0)], even in the dense molecular clouds of the Galactic center region.5 pagesen-USThis item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.© 2001. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.Text