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Observations of NIR polarized light from Sagittarius A*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2014

B. Shahzamanian ,
A. Eckart ,
M. Zamaninasab ,
G. Witzel  and
N. Sabha
B. Shahzamanian
Affiliation:
I.Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str.77, 50937 Köln, Germany email: shahzaman@ph1.uni-koeln.de Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
A. Eckart
Affiliation:
I.Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str.77, 50937 Köln, Germany email: shahzaman@ph1.uni-koeln.de Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
M. Zamaninasab
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
G. Witzel
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
N. Sabha
Affiliation:
I.Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str.77, 50937 Köln, Germany email: shahzaman@ph1.uni-koeln.de Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Abstract

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We present a brief overview of results obtained from near-infrared polarized observations of Sgr A*, which is associated with the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The observations have been carried out using the NACO adaptive optics instrument at the VLT UT4 in the infrared Ks-band from 2004 to 2012. Several polarized flares have been observed in this time interval which allow us to determine the statistical properties of NIR linearly polarized light from Sgr A*. Linear polarization at 2.2 μm and its variations can help us to constrain the physical conditions of the accretion process around this supermassive black hole.

Keywords

black hole physics — Galaxies: nucleiInfrared — Methods: statistical — physical data and processes: polarization
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. 283 - 287
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2014 

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