Related papers: A Therapy Session with Sgr A*
Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) is the variable radio, near-infrared (NIR), and X-ray source associated with accretion onto the Galactic center black hole. We present an analysis of the most comprehensive NIR variability dataset of Sgr A* to date:…
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…
The compact and, with 4.3+-0.3 million solar masses, very massive object located at the center of the Milky Way is currently the very best candidate for a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in our immediate vicinity. The strongest evidence for…
The Event Horizon Telescope is a global very-long baseline interferometer capable of probing potential deviations from the Kerr metric, which is believed to provide the unique description of astrophysical black holes. Here we report an…
We have proposed previously that Sgr A* is simply a scaled down AGN with a black hole, an accretion disk and a radio jet operating at a very low power. It appears as if M81* - the nuclear source in the nearby galaxy M81 - is an ideal…
The interplay between supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their environments is believed to command an essential role in galaxy evolution. The majority of these SMBHs are in the radiative inefficient accretion phase where this interplay…
In recent years the case for the presence of 3-4 10^6 M_sun black hole in our Galactic Center has gained strength from results of stellar dynamics observations and from the detection of several rapid X-ray and IR flares observed in the…
Most galactic nuclei are now believed to harbour supermassive black holes. Studies of stellar motions in the central few light-years of our Milky Way Galaxy indicate the presence of a dark object with a mass of about 2.6 million solar…
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…
Although it is widely accepted that most galaxies have supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at their centers^{1-3}, concrete proof has proved elusive. Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*)^4, an extremely compact radio source at the center of our Galaxy, is…
This paper briefly reviews past, current, and future efforts to image black holes in the radio regime. Black holes seem like mystical objects, but they are an integral part of current astrophysics and are at the center of attempts to unify…
The detection of a mm/Sub-mm ``bump'' in Sgr A*'s radio spectrum suggests that at least a portion of its overall emission is produced within a compact accretion torus. This inference is strengthened by observations of strong linear…
Multiwavelength monitoring observations of Sagittarius A* exhibit variability on timescales of minutes to hours, indicating emission regions localized near the event horizon. (Sub)Millimeter-wavelength VLBI is uniquely suited to probe the…
We report on 85-101 GHz light curves of the Galactic Center supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), observed in April 2017 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). This study of high-cadence full-Stokes data…
Context. The properties of the accretion flow surrounding the supermassive central black hole of the Galaxy, Sgr A*, will be scrutinized by the new-generation instrument GRAVITY and the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). Developing fast,…
Observations of the innermost parsec surrounding Sgr A$^*$ ---the supermassive black hole in the center of our Galaxy--- have revealed a diversity of structures whose existence and characteristics apparently defy the fundamental principles…
The image of the emission surrounding the black hole in the center of the Milky Way is predicted to exhibit the imprint of general relativistic (GR) effects, including the existence of a shadow feature and a photon ring of diameter ~50…
We present some preliminary results of our work about the close encounter of binary stars hosting planets on S-type orbits with the Sgr A* supermassive black hole in the center of our Galaxy.
Lensed gravitational waves will offer new means to probe the distribution of matter in the universe, complementary to electromagnetic signals. Lensed continuous gravitational waves provide new challenges and opportunities beyond those of…
Growing supermassive black holes (Active Galactic Nuclei; AGN) release energy with the potential to alter their host galaxies and larger-scale environment; a process named "AGN feedback". Feedback is a required component of galaxy formation…