The kinetic temperature and density of the Sagittarius B2 molecular cloud from observations of methyl cyanide

Observations of the K components of the CH3CN J = 4-to-3 rotational transition at 73.6 GHz, the 6-to-5 transition at 110.4 GHz, and the 7-to-6 transition at 128.7 GHz, yield a mean kinetic temperature value of 85 + or - 10 K and a mean H2 density of 110,000 + or - 50,000/cu cm for the central 2.0 arcmin of the Sgr B2 molecular cloud. Within the K = zero-to-4 ladders of CH3CN in Sgr B2, the populations of the radiatively coupled J levels are relaxed and exhibit a rotational temperature of about 16 K, which is similar to that of several linear molecules.