A CO structure near the galactic center with strong positional and kinematic gradients

(C-12)O observations made on a two-dimensional grid in the direction of the galactic center are reported. The observations reveal an intense emission feature lying predominantly in the quadrant Delta l, Delta b greater than 0, 0 arcmin and strongly inclined with respect to the galactic equator. The inclined feature shows gradients in velocity of order 100 km/s over angular scales of about a degree, continuity of intensity over length scales greater than or approximately equal to 100 pc, and large apparent velocity dispersion. Lack of symmetry with respect to the direction and velocity of the galactic center seems to rule out interpretation in terms of a closed-orbit response to a general galactic potential.