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The Galactic Center stellar cluster: The central arcsecond
Author(s) -
Schödel R.,
Genzel R.,
Ott T.,
Eckart A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
astronomische nachrichten
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.394
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-3994
pISSN - 0004-6337
DOI - 10.1002/asna.200385048
Subject(s) - physics , planck , galactic center , astrophysics , galaxy
With 10 years of high‐resolution imaging data now available on the stellar cluster in the Galactic Center, we analyze the dynamics of the stars at projected distances ≤1.2″ from the central black hole candidate Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). We find evidence for radial anisotropy of the cluster of stars surrounding Sgr A*. We confirm/find accelerated motion for 6 stars, with 4 stars having passed the pericenter of their orbits during the observed time span. We calculated/constrained the orbital parameters of these stars. All orbits have moderate to high eccentricities. The center of acceleration coincides with the radio position of Sgr A*. From the orbit of the star S2, currently the most tightly constrained one, we determine the mass of Sgr A* to 3.3 ± 0.7 × 10 6 M ⊙ and its position to 2.0 ± 2.4 mas East and 2.7 ± 4.5 mas South of the nominal radio position. The data provide compelling evidence that Sgr A* is a single supermassive black hole.