ABSTRACT

[Home] [New Abstracts] [Newsletter] [Newsflash] [Articles] [Conferences] [Subscribers] [Subscription] [Submission]

ABSTRACT: We present the ASCA results of the first high quality X-ray images and spectra near Sgr A in the wide X-ray band of 0.7 - 10 keV. (1) We found a new X-ray source AX J1745.6-2901 about 1'.3 south-west from the nuclear supermassive black hole candidate Sgr A*. We discovered a type-I X-ray burst and eclipses from AX J1745.6-2901, hence established AX J1745.6-2901 to be an eclipsing low-mass X-ray binary. Excess soft X-rays during the eclipse were detected, which is well explained by the scattering process of interstellar dust-grains. (2)The X-rays in the brightest region near Sgr A* would come from a hot gas filling the interstellar space with the thermal energy of about 2*10⁵⁰ erg. We also detected no significant time variability from Sgr A*.