Fifteen years of XMM-Newton and Chandra monitoring of Sgr A⋆: evidence for a recent increase in the bright flaring rate
Abstract
High-amplitude X-ray flares on top of the quiescent emission of Sgr A* are commonly observed. We will present a study of the X-ray flaring activity of Sgr A* during all the 150 XMM-Newton and Chandra observations pointed at the Milky Way centre over the last 15 years. We have detected a recent change in the properties of the brightest flares: a factor 2-3 increase of their luminosity during the years 2013-2014, and an increase of their rate (from 0.27pm0.04 to 2.5pm1 per day) in summer 2014. We will discuss possible origins of this behaviour, in particular the association with the peri-center passage of the dusty G2 object.
- Publication:
-
41st COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- July 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016cosp...41E.411D