Open AccessHow to hide large‐scale outflows: size constraints on the jets of Sgr A*
Author(s) -
Markoff Sera,
Bower Geoffrey C.,
Falcke Heino
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.12071.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , supermassive black hole , sagittarius a* , line of sight , wavelength , accretion (finance) , position angle , sky , outflow , scale (ratio) , astronomy , galaxy , optics , quantum mechanics , meteorology
Despite significant strides made towards understanding accretion, outflow and emission processes in the Galactic Centre supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, the presence of jets has been neither rejected nor proven. We investigate here whether the combined spectral and morphological properties of the source at radio through near‐infrared wavelengths are consistent with the predictions for inhomogeneous jets. In particular, we construct images of jets at a wavelength of 7 mm based on models that are consistent with the spectrum of Sgr A*. We then compare these models through closure quantities with data obtained from the Very Long Baseline Array at 7 mm. We find that the best‐fitting jet models give comparable or better fits than the best‐fitting Gaussian models for the intrinsic source found in previous analyses. The best‐fitting jet models are bipolar, are highly inclined to the line of sight (θ≳ 75°) , may favour a position angle on the sky of 105°, and have compact bases with sizes of a few gravitational radii.