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Observations of the gas cloud G2 in the Galactic center

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2014

S. Gillessen ,
R. Genzel ,
T. K. Fritz ,
F. Eisenhauer ,
O. Pfuhl ,
T. Ott ,
A. Burkert ,
M. Schartmann  and
A. Ballone
S. Gillessen
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85748 Garching, Germany
R. Genzel
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85748 Garching, Germany Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Le Conte Hall, University of California, 94720 Berkeley, USA
T. K. Fritz
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85748 Garching, Germany
F. Eisenhauer
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85748 Garching, Germany
O. Pfuhl
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85748 Garching, Germany
T. Ott
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85748 Garching, Germany
A. Burkert
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85748 Garching, Germany Universitätssternwarte der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 München, Germany email: ste@mpe.mpg.de
M. Schartmann
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85748 Garching, Germany Universitätssternwarte der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 München, Germany email: ste@mpe.mpg.de
A. Ballone
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, 85748 Garching, Germany Universitätssternwarte der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 München, Germany email: ste@mpe.mpg.de
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Abstract

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In 2011, we discovered a compact gas cloud (“G2”) with roughly three Earth masses that is falling on a near-radial orbit toward the massive black hole in the Galactic center. The orbit is well constrained and pericenter passage is predicted for early 2014. Our data beautifully show that G2 gets tidally sheared apart due to the massive black hole's force. During the next months, we expect that in addition to the tidal effects, hydrodynamics get important, when G2 collides with the hot ambient gas around Sgr A*. Simulations show that ultimately, the cloud's material might fall into the massive black hole. Predictions for the accretion rate and luminosity evolution, however, are very difficult due to the many unknowns. Nevertheless, this might be a unique opportunity in the next years to observe how gas feeds a massive black hole in a galactic nucleus.

Keywords

Galaxy: centerblack hole physicsinfrared: generalISM: clouds
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. 254 - 263
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2014 

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