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A Three Parsec-Scale Jet-Driven Outflow from Sgr AThe compact radio source Sgr A* is coincident with a 4x 10(exp 6) solar Mass black hole at the dynamical center of the Galaxy and is surrounded by dense orbiting ionized and molecular gas. We present high resolution radio continuum images of the central 3' and report a faint continuous linear structure centered on Sgr A*. This feature is rotated by 28 deg in PA with respect to the Galactic plane. A number of weak blobs of radio emission with X-ray counterparts are detected along the axis of the linear structure. In addition, the continuous linear feature appears to be terminated symmetrically by two linearly polarized structures at 8.4 GHz, approx 75" from Sgr A*. The linear structure is best characterized by a mildly relativistic jet-driven outflow from Sgr A*, and an outflow rate 10(exp 6) solar M / yr. The near and far-sides of the jet are interacting with orbiting ionized and molecular gas over the last 1-3 hundred years and are responsible for the origin of a 2" hole, the "minicavity", where disturbed kinematics, enhanced FeII/III line emission, and diffuse X-ray gas have been detected. The estimated kinetic luminosity of the outflow is approx 1.2 X 10(exp 41) erg/s which can produce the Galactic center X-ray flash that has recently been identified
Document ID
20120017010
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Yusef-Zadeh, F. (Northwestern Univ. Evanston, IL, United States)
Arendt, R. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Bushouse, H. (Space Telescope Science Inst. Baltimore, MD, United States)
Cotton, W. (National Radio Astronomy Observatory Charlottesville, VA, United States)
Haggard, D. (Northwestern Univ. Evanston, IL, United States)
Pound, M. W. (Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Roberts, D. A. (Northwestern Univ. Evanston, IL, United States)
Royster, M. (Northwestern Univ. Evanston, IL, United States)
Wardle, M. (MacQuarie Univ. Sydney, Australia)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2012
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.JA.6609.2012
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: DP0986386
CONTRACT_GRANT: AST-0807400
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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