Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-gtxcr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T23:27:06.269Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The power of new experimental techniques in astronomy: zooming in on the black hole in the Center of the Milky Way

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2006

Reinhard Genzel
Reinhard Genzel*
Affiliation:
Max-Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Garching, FRG and Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, USA email: genzel@mpe.mpg.de
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

It is becoming ever easier to obtain first class astronomical data by working solely from one's computer terminal, the modern equivalent of the armchair. This wonderful development may tempt us to forget that astronomical discoveries and findings are first and foremost driven by hard-won progress in observational and experimental capabilities. The present article is meant to demonstrate this assertion by reviewing recent developments and future possibilities in studying the Center of the Milky Way, our best case for the existence of a (massive) black hole and a superb laboratory for studying the physical processes in the immediate vicinity of such an enigmatic object.

Keywords

Galaxy: centerinfrared: starsstars: individual (Sgr A*)
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 2 , Highlights of Astronomy 14: Highlights of Astronomy , August 2006 , pp. 63 - 76
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2007

References

Aharonian, F., Akhperjanian, A.G., Aye, K.-M., et al. 2004, A&A (Letters), 425, L13Google Scholar
Alexander, T. 2005, Phys. Rep., 419, 65CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, D.A., & Sanders, R. 1986, Nature, 319, 191CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, D.A., Hyland, A.R., & Hillier, D.J. 1990, MNRAS, 244, 706Google Scholar
Aschenbach, B., Grosso, N., Porquet, D., & Predehl, P. 2004, A&A, 417, 71Google Scholar
Backer, D.C., & Sramek, R.A. 1999, ApJ, 524, 805CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baganoff, F., Bautz, M.W., Brandt, W.N., et al. 2001, Nature, 413, 45CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balick, B., & Brown, R. 1974, ApJ, 194, 265CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beckers, J.M. 1993, Ann. Rev. A&A, 31, 13CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Becklin, E.E., & Neugebauer, G. 1975, ApJ, 200, L71CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Becklin, E.E., Matthews, K., Neugebauer, G., & Willner, S.P. 1978, ApJ, 219, 121CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Belanger, G., Terrier, R., de Jager, O.C., Goldwurm, A., & Melia, F. 2006, J.Phys.CS, 54, 420Google Scholar
Blandford, R., & Begelman, M.C. 1999, MNRAS (Letters), 303, L1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonnet, H., Abuter, R., Baker, A., et al. 2004, ESO Messenger, 117, 17Google Scholar
Bower, G.C., Falcke, H., Herrnstein, R.M., et al. 2004, Science, 304, 704CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broderick, A., & Loeb, A. 2006, J.Phys.CS, 54, 448Google Scholar
Davies, M.B., & King, A. 2005, ApJ (Letters), 624, L25CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DePoy, D.L., & Sharp, N.A. 1991, AJ, 101, 1324CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Villier, J.P., Hawley, J.F., Krolik, J.H., & Hirose, S. 2005, ApJ, 620, 878CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eckart, A., Genzel, R., Hofmann, R., Sams, B.J., & Tacconi-Garman, L.E. 1993, ApJ (Letters), 407, L77CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eckart, A., Genzel, R., Hofmann, R., Sams, B.J., & Tacconi-Garman, L.E. 1995, ApJ (Letters), 445, L23CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eckart, A., & Genzel, R. 1996, Nature, 383, 415CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eckart, A., & Genzel, R. 1997, MNRAS, 284, 576CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eckart, A., Baganoff, F.K., Schödel, R., et al. 2006a, A&A, 450, 535Google Scholar
Eckart, A., Schödel, R., Meyer, L., et al. 2006b, A&A, 455, 1Google Scholar
Einstein, A. 1916, Ann. Phys., 49, 50Google Scholar
Eisenhauer, F., Schödel, R., Genzel, R., et al. 2003a, ApJ (Letters), 597, L121CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eisenhauer, F., Abuter, R., Bickert, K., et al. 2003b, Proc. SPIE, 4841, 1548CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eisenhauer, F., Genzel, R., Alexander, T., et al. 2005a, ApJ, 628, 246CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eisenhauer, F., Perrin, G., Rabien, S., Eckart, A., Lena, P., Genzel, R., Abuter, R., & Paumard, T. 2005b, Astron. Nachr., 326, 561Google Scholar
Falcke, H., Melia, F., & Algol, E. 2000, ApJ (Letters), 528, L13CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferrarese, L., & Merritt, D. 2000, ApJ (Letters), 539, L9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forrest, W.J., Shure, M.A., Pipher, J.L., & Woodward, C.A. 1987, in: Backer, D.C. (ed.), The Galactic Center, Proc. Symp. honoring C.H. Townes, Berkeley, CA, USA, 1986, AIP-CP, 155, 153Google Scholar
Genzel, R., Hollenbach, D., & Townes, C.H. 1994, Rep. Prog. Phys., 57, 417CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Genzel, R., Schödel, R., Ott, T., et al. 2003a, Nature, 425, 934CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Genzel, R., Schödel, R., Ott, T., et al. 2003b, ApJ, 594, 812CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ghez, A.M., Klein, B.L., Morris, M., & Becklin, E.E. 1998, ApJ, 509, 678CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ghez, A.M., Duchêne, G., Matthews, K., et al. 2003, ApJ (Letters), 586, L127CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ghez, A.M., Salim, S., Hornstein, S.D., et al. 2005a, ApJ, 620, 744CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ghez, A.M., Hornstein, S.D., Lu, J.R., et al. 2005b, ApJ, 635, 1087CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giacconi, R., Gursky, H., Paolini, F., & Rossi, B.B. 1962, Phys. Rev. Lett., 9, 439CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giacconi, R. 2003, Rev. Mod. Phys., 75, 995CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillessen, S., Eisenhauer, F., Quataert, E., et al. 2006a, ApJ (Letters), 640, L163CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillessen, S., Perrin, G., Brandner, W., et al. 2006b, in: Monnier, J.D., Schöller, M. & Danchi, W.C. (eds.), Advances in Stellar Interferometry, SPIE, 6268, 33Google Scholar
Hopman, C., & Alexander, T. 2006, ApJ, 645, 1152CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kerr, R. 1963, Phys. Rev. Lett., 11, 237CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kormendy, J. 2004, in: Ho, L.C. (ed.), Coevolution of Black Holes and Galaxies, Proc. Carnegie Observatories Astrophysics Series (Cambridge: CUP), p. 1Google Scholar
Krabbe, A., Iserlohe, C., Larkin, J.E., et al. 2006, ApJ (Letters), 642, L145CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lenzen, R., Hofmann, R., Bizenberger, P., & Tusche, A. 1998, in: Fowler, A.M. (ed.), Infrared Astronomical Instrumentation, Proc. SPIE, 3354, 606Google Scholar
Liu, S., Melia, F., & Petrosian, V. 2005, ApJ, 636, 798CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lynden-Bell, D. 1969, Nature, 223, 690CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Markoff, S., Falcke, H., Yuan, F., & Biermann, P.L. 2001, A&A (Letters), 379, L13Google Scholar
Marrone, D., Moran, J.M., Zhao, J.-H., & Rao, R. 2006, ApJ, 640, 308CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matthews, K., et al. 2007, in preparationGoogle Scholar
Melia, F., & Falcke, H. 2001, Ann. Rev. A&A, 39, 309CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McClintock, J.E., & Remillard, R.A. 2006, in: Lewin, W. & van der Klis, M. (eds.), Compact Stellar X-ray Sources, Cambridge Astrophysics Series No. 39. (Cambridge: CUP), p. 157.Google Scholar
Miyoshi, M., Moran, J., Herrnstein, J., et al. 1995, Nature, 373, 127CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morris, M. 1993, ApJ, 408, 496CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Narayan, R., Yi, I., & Mahadevan, R. 1996, Nature, 374, 623CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paumard, T., Perrin, G., Eckart, A., Genzel, R., Lena, P., Schödel, R., Eisenhauer, F., Müller, T., & Gillessen, S. 2005, Astron. Nachr., 326, 568Google Scholar
Paumard, T., Genzel, R., Martins, F., et al. 2006, ApJ, 643, 1011CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quataert, E. 2004, ApJ, 613, 322CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rees, M. 1984, Ann. Rev A&A, 22, 471CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, M.J. 1993, Ann. Rev. A&A, 31, 345CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, M.J., & Brunthaler, A. 2004, ApJ, 616, 872CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Revnivtsev, M.G., Churazov, E.M., Sazonov, S.Yu., et al. 2004, A&A (Letters), 425, L49Google Scholar
Rivera, E.J., Lissauer, J.J., Butler, R.P., et al. 2005, ApJ, 634, 625CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, D.A., & Goss, W.M. 1993, ApJS, 86, 133CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rousset, G., Lacombe, F., Puget, P., et al. 1998, in: Bonaccini, D. & Tyson, R.K. (eds.), Adaptive Optical System Technologies, Proc. SPIE, 3255, 508Google Scholar
Schödel, R., Ott, T., Genzel, R., et al. 2002, Nature, 419, 694CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schödel, R., Ott, T., Genzel, R., et al. 2003, ApJ, 596, 1015CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schödel, R., Eckart, A., Muzic, K., et al. 2007, A&A (Letters), 462, L1Google Scholar
Schmidt, M. 1963, Nature, 197, 1040CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwarzschild, K. 1916, Sitzungsber. Preuss. Akad. Wiss., 424Google Scholar
Shen, Z.Q., Lo, K.Y., Liang, M.C., Ho, P.T.P., & Zhao, J.H. 2005, Nature, 438, 62CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Townes, C.H., Lacy, J.H., Geballe, T.R., & Hollenbach, D.J. 1982, Nature, 301, 661CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weinberg, N.N., Milosavljevic, M., & Ghez, A.M. 2005, ApJ, 622, 878CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, J.A. 1968, American Scientific, 56, 1Google Scholar
Wizinovich, P., et al. 2007, in preparationGoogle Scholar
Wollman, E.R., Geballe, T.R., Lacy, J.H., Townes, C.H., & Rank, D.M. 1977, ApJ (Letters), 218, L103CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yuan, F., Quataert, E., & Narayan, R. 2003, ApJ, 598, 301CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yusef-Zadeh, F., Bushouse, H., Dowell, C.D., et al. 2006, ApJ, 644, 198CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zucker, S., Alexander, T., Gillessen, S., Eisenhauer, F., & Genzel, R. 2006, ApJ (Letters), 639, L21CrossRefGoogle Scholar