Hot molecular gas in the central region around Sgr A*

We present our latest Submillimeter Array (SMA) results on HCN(4-3) in the Sgr A* vicinity. We have produced a 37-pointing mosaic, covering a 2' x 2' area around Sgr A*. The angular resolution is 2.5'' and the spectral window covered the velocity range of -180 - 1490 km s-1. We compare our results to the HCN(1-0) observations from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) by [1]. Because of the higher excitation of the (4-3) transition, we find that absorption by lower density foreground material is not important. By comparing the (4-3) and (1-0) results, we find that the excitation is not uniform within the circumnuclear disk (CND). The southern part is stronger in the higher-excitation line. This result was previously suggested by single-dish observations from [2]. We discuss our results in the context of the structure and stability of the CND