The X-ray Variability of Sgr A*
Abstract
Sgr A* is the poster child for profoundly quiescent accretion flows. Forty years after its discovery in the radio and fifteen years after its discovery in X-rays with Chandra, the extreme X-ray faintness of the closest supermassive black hole remains an important puzzle in black hole accretion. To study this remarkable source, Chandra (in concert with numerous ground- and space-based observatories) undertook a 3 Ms campaign on Sgr A* in 2012, providing an excellent opportunity to probe the physics of accretion in the Galactic Center. I will present an update to our work on the X-ray variability of Sgr A*, expanding a statistical analysis of its daily flares into a more comprehensive picture of its variable processes. Finally, I will discuss the exciting physical implications of this variability for the connection between X-ray and infrared emission and our understanding of the radiation physics of Sgr A*.
- Publication:
-
Einstein Fellows Symposium 2014
- Pub Date:
- October 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014efs..confE..17N