Статья

Dissecting X-ray–Emitting Gas Around the Center of Our Galaxy

Q. Daniel WangDepartment of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USAMichael A. NowakKavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USASera MarkoffAstronomical Institute, “Anton Pannekoek,” University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, NetherlandsFrederick K. BaganoffKavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USASergei NayakshinDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UKYe‐Fei YuanShanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030, ChinaJorge CuadraInstituto de Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, ChileJohn E. DavisKavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USAJason DexterTheoretical Astrophysics Center and Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720–3411, USAA. C. FabianInstitute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UKN. GrossoObservatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, Strasbourg, FranceDaryl HaggardCIERA Fellow, Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USAJ. C. HouckKavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USAL. JiPurple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of ChinaZekun LiSchool of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, ChinaJoey NeilsenEinstein Fellow, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USAD. PorquetObservatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, Strasbourg, FranceF. RippleDepartment of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USARoman V. ShcherbakovHubble Fellow; Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742–2421, USA

Sciencejournal2013en

ABI

Аннотация

Most supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are accreting at very low levels and are difficult to distinguish from the galaxy centers where they reside. Our own Galaxy's SMBH provides an instructive exception, and we present a close-up view of its quiescent x-ray emission based on 3 megaseconds of Chandra observations. Although the x-ray emission is elongated and aligns well with a surrounding disk of massive stars, we can rule out a concentration of low-mass coronally active stars as the origin of the emission on the basis of the lack of predicted iron (Fe) Kα emission. The extremely weak hydrogen (H)-like Fe Kα line further suggests the presence of an outflow from the accretion flow onto the SMBH. These results provide important constraints for models of the prevalent radiatively inefficient accretion state.

Темы

Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena

Идентификаторы

DOI: 10.1126/science.1240755

Цитирования и источники

Цитирований: 0Использованных источников: 72

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