SIMBAD references

Several distinct kinematic patterns are superposed in the ionized gas seen nearest Sgr A^*, the compact radio source at the center of the Milky Way. This has led to confusion over the morphology and motions of the gas; the recent dispersion-ring model of Sanders (1998MNRAS.294...35S) inadvertantly elides parts of two separate features and reproduces a description of the gas flow which does not actually occur. We demonstrate the gas kinematics via an analysis of the high-resolution H92α radio recombination line data of Roberts & Goss (1993ApJS...86..133R) and Roberts et al. (1996ApJ...459..627R). The characteristic kinematic pattern of the ``Bar'' is reproduced by rotation in near-polar orbits seen edge-on at distances of 0.3-0.8pc from Sgr A^*, with larger radii seen to the east. The mass of ionized material in the Bar is ∼27M_☉. The Bar and Eastern Arm together probably represent a single stream of gas falling on to the galactic center, crossing from east to west.