An XMM-Newton study of Sgr A EAst and its surroundings

We report the results of recent XMM-Newton observations of Sgr A East and its surrounding region. The X-ray spectrum of Sgr A East is found to be well represented by a two-temperature optically-thin thermal plasma model with temperature components of 1 and 4~keV. Only the iron abundance shows clear spatial variation; it concentrates in the core of SNR. The derived plasma parameters suggest that Sgr A East originated in a single type-II supernova event. Around Sgr A East, the hard X-ray emission is distributed predominantly along the plane but with an excess of soft flux, possibly in the form of an outflow, seen immediately above and below the position of Sgr A East. We dis cuss the nature of these structures and the possible connection with the central massive black hole Sgr A*.