Science with GRAVITY, the NIR Interferometric Imager
Abstract
10-m class telescopes have brought a wealth of breakthroughs in Galactic Center science. They have allowed tantalizing results such as the measurement of orbits of stars coming close to relativistic velocities and energetic outbursts in the emission from Sgr A*. To get more details in the flaring activity of Sgr A* and trace truly relativistic orbits, a spatial resolution of a few milliarcseconds only is required. For this purpose, we are currently designing GRAVITY, a second generation instrument for the VLT Interferometer.
- Publication:
-
The Galactic Center: a Window to the Nuclear Environment of Disk Galaxies
- Pub Date:
- May 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011ASPC..439..267P