Abstracts, Galactic Center Workshop '98
ABSTRACT

Intrinsic Size of Sgr A*: 72 Schwarzschild Radii

Lo1, K. Y.; Shen, Z.-Q.1,2; Zhao, J.-H.3,4; Ho, P.T.P.3

1Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics, P. O. Box 1-87, Nankang, Taipei 115 2Shanghai Observatory, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030 3Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., MS 78, Cambridge, MA 02138; 4The author will present the talk

ABSTRACT: By means of near-simultaneous multi-wavelength VLBA measurements, we determine for the first time the intrinsic size of Sgr A ^\star to be 72 R_sc(\star) by < 20 R_sc(\star), with the major axis oriented essentially north-south, where R_sc(\star) \equiv 7.5 * 1011 cm is the Schwarzschild radius for a 2.5*106 Mo black hole. Contrary to previous expectation that the intrinsic structure of Sgr A ^\star is observable only at lambda <= 1 mm, we can discern the intrinsic source size at lambda 7 mm because (1) the scattering size along the minor axis is half that along the major axis, and (2) the near simultaneous multi-wavelength mapping of Sgr A^\star makes it possible to extrapolate precisely the minor axis scattering angle at lambda 7 mm. The intrinsic size and shape place direct constraints on the various emission models for Sgr A ^\star. In particular, the advection dominated accretion flow model may have to incorporate a radio jet in order to account for the structure of Sgr A ^\star.

LINKS: Program, kyl@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw