NRAO/Socorro Colloquium Series: 11 Apr 2003

Fred Baganoff

Massachusetts Institute of Technology


Unveiling the Galactic Center with the Chandra X-ray Observatory


The center of the Milky Way is obscured from our view at optical wavelengths by clouds of dust and gas; radio, infrared, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths pierce this veil. Until recently, however, sub-arcsecond imaging was possible only in the radio and infrared. A series of pointings with the Chandra X-ray Observatory over the past three years have produced an X-ray image of unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. The first two observations discovered X-ray emission and rapid X-ray flaring from the compact radio source and supermassive black hole candidate Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). The bulk of the remaining observations were part of a week-long campaign to monitor the variability of Sgr A* in the radio, millimeter, infrared, and X-ray bands. Results of the multiwavelength campaign and implications for models of accretion onto the central black hole will be presented. Over 2000 X-ray point sources and numerous X-ray filaments and diffuse features were discovered in this deep image. These sources will be discussed briefly.






Friday, 11 Apr 2003
11:00am

Array Operations Center Auditorium

Local Host: Greg Taylor


Other NRAO/Socorro colloquia


cchandle@nrao.edu