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arXiv 1504.07239astro-ph.GA
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银河系中心年轻星团外缘的测绘

Mapping the Outer Edge of the Young Stellar Cluster in the Galactic Center

Morten N. Støstad, Tuan Do, Norm Murray, Jessica R. Lu, Sylvana Yelda, Andrea M. Ghez

摘要:

我们提出了新的近红外光谱观测银河系中心的超大质量黑洞周围的年轻星团的外缘。观测结果显示,年轻恒星的表面密度分布在大约13角秒(0.52秒差距)处出现了一个突变。这些观测结果在光谱学上证实了先前基于光度学的断裂建议。使用北双子座的近红外积分场光谱仪(NIFS),我们能够检测和分离早期和晚期类型的恒星,在Ks = 15.5的75%的完整性。我们从Sgr A* 中选取了一个半径在7”到23”(0.28 pc到0.92 pc)之间的区域,并对144颗亮度大于Ks = 15.5的恒星进行了新的光谱分类,其中140颗恒星是晚型(> 1 Gyr),只有4颗恒星是早型(年轻,4- 600万年)。一个打破幂律拟合的早期型表面密度与我们的数据和以前发表的值相匹配。晚型星的投影表面密度也进行了测量,发现与以前的结果是一致的。我们发现观测到的早期型表面密度分布与年轻恒星起源于紧密结合的坠落星团的理论不一致,因为在半径大于13”的区域没有发现明显的年轻恒星尾迹。我们还注意到,无论是一个简单的磁盘不稳定性标准或云-云碰撞可以解释外缘的位置,虽然我们缺乏信息,使结论性意见的任何一种选择。如果这个表面密度的突破代表了年轻星团的边缘,那么它将为银河系中心最近的恒星形成事件设定一个重要的尺度。

英文摘要:

We present new near-infrared spectroscopic observations of the outer edges of the young stellar cluster around the supermassive black hole at the Galactic center. The observations show a break in the surface-density profile of young stars at approximately 13 arcsec (0.52 pc). These observations spectroscopically confirm previous suggestions of a break based on photometry. Using Gemini North's Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer (NIFS) we are able to detect and separate early- and late-type stars with a 75% completeness at Ks = 15.5. We sample a region with radii between 7" to 23" (0.28 pc to 0.92 pc) from Sgr A*, and present new spectral classifications of 144 stars brighter than Ks = 15.5, where 140 stars are late-type (> 1 Gyr) and only four stars are early-type (young, 4-6 Myr). A broken power-law fit of the early-type surface-density matches well with our data and previously published values. The projected surface-density of late-type stars is also measured and found to be consistent with previous results. We find that the observed early-type surface-density profile is inconsistent with the theory of the young stars originating from a tightly bound infalling cluster, as no significant trail of young stars is found at radii above 13". We also note that either a simple disk instability criterion or a cloud-cloud collision could explain the location of the outer edge, though we lack information to make conclusive remarks on either alternative. If this break in surface-density represents an edge to the young stellar cluster it would set an important scale for the most recent episode of star formation at the Galactic center.

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