======================================================================== G C N E W S * Newsflash * - The Newsletter for Galactic Center Research - gcnews@aoc.nrao.edu http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~gcnews ======================================================================== Vol. 21, No. 1 Mar 25, 2005 Recently submitted papers: -------------------------- 1) At the Heart of the Milky Way (Lazio & LaRosa, Science) 2) An upper limit to the masses of stars (Figer, Nature) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Email : Joseph.Lazio@nrl.navy.mil Title : At the Heart of the Milky Way Author(s): T. Joseph W. Lazio and Theodore N. LaRosa Paper : Science (2005), Vol. 307 (4 February 2005), p.686--687 Abstract: The center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains unique magnetic structures that remain incompletely understood. In their Perspective, Lazio and LaRosa review advances toward characterizing and understanding these structures. Recent observations at radio and submillimeter wavelengths have revealed that the magnetic filaments are more widespread than previously thought, and also exhibit a geometric complexity not accounted for in current models of the magnetic environment at the galactic center. Observations at even higher resolution and sensitivity will be required to understand fully the origin, properties, and role of the magnetic field at the galactic center. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Email : figer@stsci.edu Title : An upper limit to the masses of stars Author(s): Donald F. Figer Institute: (1) STScI, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 Paper : Nature (2005), Vol. 434 (10 March 2005), Web : http://www-int.stsci.edu/~figer Abstract: There is no accepted upper mass limit for stars. Such a basic quantity escapes both theory, because of incomplete understanding of star formation, and observation, because of incompleteness in surveying the Galaxy. The Arches cluster is ideal for such a test, being massive enough to expect stars at least as massive as 400 solar masses, and young enough for its most massive members to still be visible. It is old enough to be free of its natal molecular cloud, and close enough, and at a well-established distance, for us to discern its individual stars. Here I report an absence of stars with initial masses greater than 130 M in the Arches cluster, where the typical mass function predicts 18. I conclude that this indicates a firm limit of 150 M for stars as the probability that the observations are consistent with no limit is 10-8. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Older versions of the Newsflash can be found at the gcnews web-page) ======================================================================== Edited by Sera Markoff, Loránt Sjouwerman, Joseph Lazio, Cornelia Lang, Rainer Schödel, Robin Herrnstein - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For Abstract submission please follow the instructions which are at http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~gcnews/home/submission.shtml ========================================================================