ABSTRACT

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ABSTRACT: We present H and K band spectra for a nearly complete sample of K-band bright stars in the central few parsecs of the Milky Way. The sample is defined as those stars in the Galactic Center (GC) K-band luminosity function which are brighter than the brightest stars in the Baade's Window K-band luminosity function. The new spectra of the K-band bright stars uniformly show CO 2.3 micron absorption, the signature of luminous, cool stars. Perhaps not surprisingly, it is the luminous cool stars which dominate the bright end of GC K-band luminosity function. We compare the atomic and molecular line strengths of the GC stars to those for nearby and bulge populations. We also use the GC K-band bright star properties as derived from their spectra and broad band magnitudes to discuss implications for recent and past star formation.