The Massive Black Hole at the Center of the Galaxy and its Immediate Environment

Yusef-Zadeh博士和他的团队研究银河系中心的巨大黑洞。这个黑洞与射电源人马座A* (Sgr A*)有关，人马座A*以两个演化恒星和年轻恒星团为中心。来自附近年轻恒星的电离热风向黑洞的吸积是Sgr A*发光的原因。在几光年的尺度上，分子物质分布在环绕人马座a *和星团的环中。气体和恒星系统在空间上共存，在物理上与巨大的黑洞相互作用。无线电、亚毫米、x射线和红外波段的观测探测变异和耀斑活动。Sgr A*的发射特性是利用多个空间和地面天文台（例如，Herschel， ALMA， EVLA， ATCA， VLBA， CSO， HST和钱德拉）的数据来探测的。观测结果与理论相结合，研究了银河系中心大质量黑洞的动力学、吸积速率以及对周围恒星群的影响。这项工作将推进我们对中心黑洞周围极端潮汐环境下恒星形成的理解；以及大质量恒星的质量损失如何为黑洞提供养分。该团队开发了交互式图像观看器，将天文图像带给公众，并将包括这项研究的新结果（http://spaceimages.northwestern.edu）。在阿德勒天文馆有一个与空间可视化实验室的合作。关于Sgr A*发射的变化和银河系中心恒星形成的全球望远镜之旅正在计划中，银河系中心的研究将通过阿德勒的“天文学对话”项目与公众分享。

Dr. Yusef-Zadeh and his team study the massive black hole at the center of our Galaxy. The black hole is associated with the radio source Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) that is centered on two clusters of evolved and young stars. The accretion of ionized thermal winds from nearby young stars onto the black hole is responsible for the luminosity of Sgr A*. On a scale of a few light years, molecular material is distributed in a ring orbiting both Sgr A* and the cluster of stars. The gaseous and stellar systems co-exist spatially and physically interact with the massive black hole. Observations at radio, sub-millimeter, X-ray and infrared wavelengths probe variability and flaring activity. The emission properties of Sgr A* are probed using data from multiple space- and ground-bases observatories (e.g., Herschel, ALMA, EVLA, ATCA, VLBA, CSO, HST and Chandra). Observational results and theory are combined to study the dynamics, accretion rate, and effects on the surrounding stellar populations of the massive black hole at the center of Galaxy. The work will advance our understanding of star formation in the extreme tidal environment around the central black hole; and how mass loss from massive stars feeds the black hole. The team has developed interactive image viewers to bring astronomical images to the public and new results from this research will be included (http://spaceimages.northwestern.edu). There is a collaboration with the Space Visualization Laboratory at the Adler Planetarium. Narrative WorldWide Telescope Tours about the variability of emission from Sgr A* and star formation in the Galactic center are planned, and the Galactic center research will be shared with the public through Adler's "Astronomy Conversation" program.