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Increasing the Scientific Return of Stellar Orbits at the Galactic\n Center

2010/02/08 by S. Yelda, Sylvana Yelda, A. M. Ghez +13
Physics and Astronomy · #Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA) #FOS: Physical sciences #Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR) #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph.GA #astro-ph.SR

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1002.1729

Proceedings article to be published in "The Galactic Center: A Window on the Nuclear Environment of Disk Galaxies", ed. Mark Morris, Daniel Q. Wang and Feng Yuan

arxiv created 2010/02/08 · openalex publication_date 2010/02/08 · arxiv updated 2010/02/26 · openalex created_date 2022/09/30 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

We report a factor of \∼3 improvement in Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive\nOptics (LGSAO) astrometric measurements of stars near the Galaxy's supermassive\nblack hole (SMBH). By carrying out a systematic study of M92, we have produced\na more accurate model for the camera's optical distortion. Updating our\nmeasurements with this model, and accounting for differential atmospheric\nrefraction, we obtain estimates of the SMBH properties that are a factor of\n\∼2 more precise, and most notably, increase the likelihood that the black\nhole is at rest with respect to the nuclear star cluster. These improvements\nhave also allowed us to extend the radius to which stellar orbital parameter\nestimates are possible by a factor of 2.\n

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