Coordinated multi-wavelength observations of Sgr A*
Creators
- 1. University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 77, D-50937 Cologne (Germany)
- 2. Instituto de AstrofIsica de AndalucIa, Camino Bajo de Huetor 50, 18008 Granada (Spain)
- 3. Center for Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 (United States)
- 4. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States)
- 5. Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences, BocnI II, CZ-14131 Prague (Czech Republic)
- 6. Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimetrique, Domaine Universitaire, 38406 St. Martin d'Heres (France)
- 7. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel, Leibnizstr. 15 24118 Kiel (Germany)
- 8. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Auf dem Huegel 69, 53121 Bonn (Germany)
- 9. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, SMA project, 60 Garden Street, MS 78 Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
- 10. Astronomical Institute 'Anton Pannekoek', University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 403, 1098SJ Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- 11. Observatoire Midi-Pyrenees, 14, Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse (France)
- 12. Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid (Spain)
Description
We report on recent near-infrared (NIR) and X-ray observations of Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the electromagnetic manifestation of the ∼4x106Mo-dot super-massive black hole (SMBH) at the Galactic Center. The goal of these coordinated multi-wavelength observations is to investigate the variable emission from Sgr A* in order to obtain a better understanding of the underlying physical processes in the accretion flow/outflow. The observations have been carried out using the NACO adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (July 2005, May 2007) and the ACIS-I instrument aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory (July 2005). We report on a polarized NIR flare synchronous to a 8x1033 erg/s X-ray flare in July 2005, and a further flare in May 2007 that shows the highest sub-flare to flare contrast observed until now. The observations can be interpreted in the framework of a model involving a temporary disk with a short jet. In the disk component flux density variations can be explained due to hot spots on relativistic orbits around the central SMBH. The variations of the sub-structures of the May 2007 flare are interpreted as a variation of the hot spot structure due to differential rotation within the disk.
Availability note (English)
Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/131/1/012002Additional details
Identifiers
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Journal of Physics. Conference Series (Online)
- Journal Volume
- 131
- Journal Issue
- 1
- Journal Page Range
- [15 p.]
- ISSN
- 1742-6596
Conference
- Title
- Astrophysics at high angular resolution
- Acronym
- Conference on the Universe under the microscope
- Dates
- 21-25 Apr 2008
- Place
- Bad Honnef (Germany)
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United Kingdom
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 41038996
- Subject category
- S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
- Resource subtype / Literary indicator
- Conference
- Descriptors DEI
- ACCRETION DISKS; BLACK HOLES; COSMIC PHOTONS; FLUX DENSITY; GAMMA ASTRONOMY; HOT SPOTS; NEAR INFRARED RADIATION; OPTICS; ORBITS; PHOTON EMISSION; POLARIZATION; RELATIVISTIC RANGE; ROTATION; TELESCOPES; VARIATIONS; WAVELENGTHS; X RADIATION
- Descriptors DEC
- ASTRONOMY; BOSONS; COSMIC RADIATION; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; EMISSION; ENERGY RANGE; INFRARED RADIATION; IONIZING RADIATIONS; MASSLESS PARTICLES; MOTION; PHOTONS; RADIATIONS