Abstracts, Galactic Center Workshop '98
ABSTRACT

The Galactic Center EGRET Source and the Broad-band Spectrum of Sgr A East

Fatuzzo, M.; Melia, F.; Yusef-Zadeh, F.; Markoff, S.

Physics Dept., Univ. Arizona

ABSTRACT: Continuum low-frequency radio observations of the Galactic Center reveal the presence of a prominent elliptical shell structure known as Sgr A East. Although morphologically similar to supernova remnants (SNRs), its inferred energetics and size appear to be extreme and have generated some uncertainty regarding this interpretation. Regardless, recent observations of this region at 1720 MHz (the transition frequency of OH maser emission) have revealed the presence of several maser spots, suggesting the presence of shocks produced at the interface with a molecular cloud. Therefore, it should not be surprising to see nonthermal emission from the Sgr A East shell. Radio continuum observations of Sgr A East suggest a synchrotron source with a relativistic electron distribution, though its spectral index ( 3) is unlike that thought to be produced directly in shock acceleration and appears to be different from the spectral indeces inferred for other SNRs. Sgr A East's possible kinship with SNRs is further suggested by the central (< 1 degree) continuum gamma-ray source observed by EGRET on board the CGRO. In this talk, I will demonstrate in a self-consistent manner how the radio through TeV spectrum of Sgr A East (including this gamma-ray source) may be accounted for with a single physical process, and how it can be placed in context with the other EGRET SNRs when one takes into account the differences between the ambient medium surrounding Sgr A East and that of the other remnants.

LINKS: Program, Author, fatuzzo@newton.physics.arizona.edu