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Chandra X-ray Survey of the Galactic Center: On the Nature of the X-ray Emission. Q. Daniel Wang and Cornelia Lang (U. of Massachusetts) Eric Gotthelf (Columbia U.). Based partly on a paper published in Nature (Jan. 10th issue) and on a talk presented at the AAS meeting, Jan. 9, 2002. GC.
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Chandra X-ray Survey of the Galactic Center:On the Nature of the X-ray Emission Q. Daniel Wang and Cornelia Lang (U. of Massachusetts) Eric Gotthelf (Columbia U.) Based partly on a paper published in Nature (Jan. 10th issue) and on a talk presented at the AAS meeting, Jan. 9, 2002
+ ASCA Survey of the Galactic Center Sakano et al. (2001)
0.8o (400 light-year) GC 2o (900 light-year) Chandra X-ray Survey of the Galactic Center
Chandra X-ray Survey of the Galactic Center GC Red: 1-3 keV Green: 3-5 keV Blue: 5-8 keV
Galactic Center Across the Spectrum Radio Mid-infrared 6.4 keV line (fluorescent radiation)
Summary • First high-resolution X-ray panorama of the Galactic center separation of discrete and diffuse X-ray emissions. • Detection of about 1,000 discrete X-ray sources • presence of numerous white dwarf stars, neutron stars, and black holes. • Detection of large amounts of hot gas (tens of million degrees) • heated and chemically enriched by frequent supernovae and escaping into the Galactic halo. • Map of the fluorescent (reflected) X-ray radiation tracing the radiation history of the central supermassive black hole.
These results represent an important step toward the understanding the high-energy activities in the heart of the Milky Way as well as cores of galaxies throughout the Universe.