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The Keplerian orbit of G2

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2014

L. Meyer ,
A. M. Ghez ,
G. Witzel ,
T. Do ,
K. Phifer ,
B. N. Sitarski ,
M. R. Morris ,
A. Boehle ,
S. Yelda  and
J. R. Lu
...Show all authors
L. Meyer
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USA, email: leo@astro.ucla.edu
A. M. Ghez
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USA, email: leo@astro.ucla.edu
G. Witzel
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USA, email: leo@astro.ucla.edu
T. Do
Affiliation:
Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3H4, Ontario, Canada
K. Phifer
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USA, email: leo@astro.ucla.edu
B. N. Sitarski
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USA, email: leo@astro.ucla.edu
M. R. Morris
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USA, email: leo@astro.ucla.edu
A. Boehle
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USA, email: leo@astro.ucla.edu
S. Yelda
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USA, email: leo@astro.ucla.edu
J. R. Lu
Affiliation:
University of Hawaii, Institute for Astronomy, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
E. Becklin
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USA, email: leo@astro.ucla.edu
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Abstract

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We give an update of the observations and analysis of G2 – the gaseous red emission-line object that is on a very eccentric orbit around the Galaxy's central black hole and predicted to come within 2400 RS in early 2014. During 2013, the laser guide star adaptive optics systems on the W. M. Keck I and II telescopes were used to obtain three epochs of spectroscopy and imaging at the highest spatial resolution currently possible in the near-IR. The updated orbital solution derived from radial velocities in addition to Br-γ line astrometry is consistent with our earlier estimates. Strikingly, even ∼ 6 months before pericenter passage there is no perceptible deviation from a Keplerian orbit. We furthermore show that a proposed “tail” of G2 is likely not associated with it but is rather an independent gas structure. We also show that G2 does not seem to be unique, since several red emission-line objects can be found in the central arcsecond. Taken together, it seems more likely that G2 is ultimately stellar in nature, although there is clearly gas associated with it.

Keywords

Galaxy: center — Galaxy: kinematics and dynamics — infrared: stars — techniques: high angular resolution
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 9 , Symposium S303: The Galactic Center: Feeding and Feedback in a Normal Galactic Nucleus , October 2013 , pp. 264 - 268
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2014 

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