Related papers: Using Millimeter VLBI to Constrain RIAF Models of …
Near a black hole, differential rotation of a magnetized accretion disk is thought to produce an instability that amplifies weak magnetic fields, driving accretion and outflow. These magnetic fields would naturally give rise to the observed…
We report on the submillimeter properties of Sagittarius A* derived from observations with the Submillimeter Array and its polarimeter. We find that the spectrum of Sgr A* between 230 and 690 GHz is slightly decreasing when measured…
The gas cloud G2 falling toward Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, is supposed to provide valuable information on the physics of accretion flows and the environment of the black hole. We…
Using a combination of general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations and ray tracing of synchrotron emission, we study the effect of modest (24 degrees) misalignment between the black hole spin and plasma angular momentum, focusing…
Sagittarius A*, the supermassive compact object at the center of the Galaxy, exhibits outbursts in the near infrared and X-ray domains. These flares are likely due to energetic events very close to the central object, on a scale of a few…
We present the highest resolution VLBI imaging observations of Sgr A* made at both 7 and 3.5 mm. These data reveal wavelength-dependent intrinsic sizes with an intrinsic emitting region at 3.5 mm of about 1 AU (at a distance of 8 kpc to the…
In fully general relativity, we calculate the images of the radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF) surrounding a Kerr black hole with arbitrary spins, inclination angles, and observational wavelengths. For the same initial…
Millimeter polarimetry of Sgr A* probes the linearly polarized emission region on a scale of $\sim 10$ Schwarzschild radii ($R_S$) as well as the dense, magnetized accretion flow on scales out to the Bondi radius ($\sim 10^5 R_S$) through…
We perform general relativistic ray-tracing calculations of the transfer of polarized synchrotron radiation through the relativistic accretion flow in Sagittarius (Sgr) A*. Based on a two-temperature magneto-rotational-instability (MRI)…
In recent years, near-IR and X-ray flares have been detected from the Galaxy's central radio point source, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), believed to be a \~3.10^6 solar masses supermassive black hole. In some cases, the transient emission…
The near-infrared emission from the black hole at the Galactic center (Sgr A*) has unique properties. The most striking feature is a suggestive periodic sub-structure that has been observed in a couple of flares so far. Using near-infrared…
We summarize the results of 7 mm VLBA imaging of Sgr A* and discuss some of the difficulties of accurately constraining the size of Sgr A* with VLBI observations. Our imaging results are fully consistent with the hypothesis that the VLBA…
The super-massive 4 million solar mass black hole (SMBH) SgrA* shows variable emission from the millimeter to the X-ray domain. A detailed analysis of the infrared light curves allows us to address the accretion phenomenon in a statistical…
Context. The compact radio and near-infrared (NIR) source Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) associated with the supermassive black hole in the Galactic center was observed at 7 mm in the context of a NIR triggered global Very Long Baseline Array…
A long standing goal in astrophysics is to directly observe the immediate environment of a black hole with angular resolution comparable to the event horizon. Realizing this goal would open a new window on the study of General Relativity in…
Global VLBI imaging at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength overcomes the opacity barrier of synchrotron self-absorption in AGN and opens the direct view into sub-pc scale regions not accessible before. Since AGN variability is more…
We present 7 mm lambda VLBA observations of the compact nonthermal radio source in the Galactic Center, Sgr A*. These observations confirm the hypothesis that the image of Sgr A* is a resolved elliptical Gaussian caused by the scattering of…
We report the detection of the two-dimensional structure of the radio source associated with the Galactic Center black hole, Sagittarius A*, obtained from Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations at a wavelength of 7mm. The intrinsic…
Recent high resolution observations of the Galactic center black hole allow for direct comparison with accretion disk simulations. We compare two-temperature synchrotron emission models from three dimensional, general relativistic…
General relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations of accretion disks and jets associated with supermassive black holes show variability on a wide range of timescales. On timescales comparable to or longer than the gravitational…