Measuring Distance and Properties of the Milky Way’s Central Supermassive Black Hole with Stellar Orbits
We report new precision measurements of the properties of our Galaxy’s supermassive black hole. Based on astrometric (1995-2007) and radial velocity (RV; 2000-2007) measurements from the W. M. Keck…
Stellar Orbits around the Galactic Center Black Hole
- A. Ghez, S. Salim, G. Duchêne
- Physics
- 5 June 2003
We present new diffraction-limited images of the Galactic center, obtained with the W. M. Keck I 10 m telescope. Within 0.″4 of the Galaxy's central dark mass, 17 proper-motion stars, with K…
The First Measurement of Spectral Lines in a Short-Period Star Bound to the Galaxy’s Central Black Hole: A Paradox of Youth
- A. Ghez, G. Duchêne, I. McLean
- Physics
- 15 February 2003
We have obtained the first detection of spectral absorption lines in one of the high-velocity stars in the vicinity of the Galaxy's central supermassive black hole. Both Brγ (2.1661 μm) and He I…
THE GALACTIC CENTER ENVIRONMENT
- M. Morris, E. Serabyn
- Physics
- 1 September 1996
▪ Abstract The central half kiloparsec region of our Galaxy harbors a variety of phenomena unique to the central environment. This review discusses the observed structure and activity of the…
High Proper-Motion Stars in the Vicinity of Sagittarius A*: Evidence for a Supermassive Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy
- A. Ghez, B. Klein, M. Morris, E. Becklin
- Physics
- 20 July 1998
Over a 2 year period we have conducted a diffraction-limited imaging study at 2.2 μm of the inner 6'' × 6'' of the central stellar cluster of the Galaxy using the W. M. Keck 10 m telescope. The…
Rapid X-ray flaring from the direction of the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Centre
- F. Baganoff, M. Bautz, F. Walter
- PhysicsNature
- 6 September 2001
The discovery of rapid X-ray flaring from the direction of Sagittarius A* provides compelling evidence that the emission is coming from the accretion of gas onto a supermassive black hole at the Galactic Centre.
Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS Observations of Massive Stellar Clusters near the Galactic Center
- D. Figer, Sungsoo S. Kim, M. Morris, E. Serabyn, R. Rich, I. McLean
- Physics
- 17 June 1999
We report Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Near-Infrared Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer (NICMOS) observations of the Arches and Quintuplet clusters, two extraordinary young clusters near the…
A DISK OF YOUNG STARS AT THE GALACTIC CENTER AS DETERMINED BY INDIVIDUAL STELLAR ORBITS
- J. Lu, A. Ghez, S. Hornstein, M. Morris, E. Becklin, K. Matthews
- Physics, Geology
- 28 August 2008
We present new proper motions from the 10 m Keck telescopes for a puzzling population of massive, young stars located within 3.″5 (0.14 pc) of the supermassive black hole at the Galactic center. Our…
AN IMPROVED DISTANCE AND MASS ESTIMATE FOR SGR A* FROM A MULTISTAR ORBIT ANALYSIS
We present new, more precise measurements of the mass and distance of our Galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, Sgr A*. These results stem from a new analysis that more than doubles the time…
Diffuse X-Ray Emission in a Deep Chandra Image of the Galactic Center
- M. Muno, F. Baganoff, L. Townsley
- Physics
- 3 February 2004
We examine the spectrum of diffuse emission detected in the 17′ × 17′ field around Sgr A* during 625 ks of Chandra observations. The spectrum exhibits He-like and H-like lines from Si, S, Ar, Ca, and…
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