On the heating of the Galactic center molecular clouds

N.J.Rodríguez-Fernaández<sup>1

1</sup> LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, 61, Av. de l'Observatoire, 75014, Paris, France

E-mail contact: nemesio.rodriguez-fernandez@obspm.fr

The molecular clouds in the inner ~500 pc of the Galaxy exhibit warm temperatures (~ 200 K) over large regions where the dust temperature is much lower (~ 30 K). The heating mechanisms responsible for this warm temperatures are so far unknown. We will discuss how recent observational results (in particular from the Infrared Space Observatory) can give us further insight into this problem.