Multiwavelength Observations of Sgr A*. II. 2019 July 21 and 26

Abstract We report on the final two days of a multiwavelength campaign of Sgr A* observing in the radio, submillimeter, infrared (IR), and X-ray bands in 2019 July. Sgr A* was remarkably active, showing multiple flaring events across the electromagnetic spectrum. We detect a transient ∼35 minute periodicity feature in Spitzer light curves on 2019 July 21. Time-delayed emission was detected in Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array light curves, suggesting a hotspot within the accretion flow on a stable orbit. On the same night, we observe a decreased flux in the submillimeter light curve following an X-ray flare detected by Chandra , and we model the feature with an adiabatically expanding synchrotron hotspot occulting the accretion flow. The event is produced by a plasma 0.55 R S in radius with an electron spectrum p = 2.84. It is threaded by a ∼130 Gauss magnetic field and expands at 0.6% the speed of light. Finally, we reveal an unambiguous flare in the IR, submillimeter, and radio, demonstrating that the variable emission is intrinsically linked. We jointly fit the radio and submillimeter light curves using an adiabatically expanding synchrotron hotspot and find it is produced by a plasma with an electron spectrum p = 0.59, 187 Gauss magnetic field, and radius 0.47 R S that expands at 0.029 c . In both cases, the uncertainty in the appropriate lower and upper electron energy bounds may inflate the derived equipartition field strengths by a factor of 2 or more. Our results confirm that both synchrotron- and adiabatic-cooling processes are involved in the variable emission’s evolution at submillimeter and IR wavelengths.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Published
2024-08-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad5332
Citations
6
Primary Topic
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.99

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article

Multiwavelength Observations of Sgr A*. II. 2019 July 21 and 26

M. Wardle, H. Bushouse, G. G. Fazio, F. Yusef‐Zadeh et al.
6 citations
The Astrophysical Journal
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
1.99
article

Multiwavelength Observations of Sgr A*. II. 2019 July 21 and 26

M. Wardle, H. Bushouse, G. G. Fazio, F. Yusef‐Zadeh, Sera Markoff, Joseph L. Hora, Joseph M. Michail, D. Kunneriath, H. A. Smith
article en
6 citations

Abstract

Abstract We report on the final two days of a multiwavelength campaign of Sgr A* observing in the radio, submillimeter, infrared (IR), and X-ray bands in 2019 July. Sgr A* was remarkably active, showing multiple flaring events across the electromagnetic spectrum. We detect a transient ∼35 minute periodicity feature in Spitzer light curves on 2019 July 21. Time-delayed emission was detected in Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array light curves, suggesting a hotspot within the accretion flow on a stable orbit. On the same night, we observe a decreased flux in the submillimeter light curve following an X-ray flare detected by Chandra , and we model the feature with an adiabatically expanding synchrotron hotspot occulting the accretion flow. The event is produced by a plasma 0.55 R S in radius with an electron spectrum p = 2.84. It is threaded by a ∼130 Gauss magnetic field and expands at 0.6% the speed of light. Finally, we reveal an unambiguous flare in the IR, submillimeter, and radio, demonstrating that the variable emission is intrinsically linked. We jointly fit the radio and submillimeter light curves using an adiabatically expanding synchrotron hotspot and find it is produced by a plasma with an electron spectrum p = 0.59, 187 Gauss magnetic field, and radius 0.47 R S that expands at 0.029 c . In both cases, the uncertainty in the appropriate lower and upper electron energy bounds may inflate the derived equipartition field strengths by a factor of 2 or more. Our results confirm that both synchrotron- and adiabatic-cooling processes are involved in the variable emission’s evolution at submillimeter and IR wavelengths.

The Astrophysical JournalVol. 971(1)
Northwestern University (US), Space Telescope Science Institute (US), National Radio Astronomy Observatory (US), Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US), University of Amsterdam (NL), Macquarie University (AU)
National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, California Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, Space Telescope Science Institute, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, European Research Council, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Division of Astronomical Sciences, Astrophysics Division
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Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
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