A Dynamical Model for Hot Gas in the Galactic Center

Abstract

Winds from massive stars supply ~ 10^{-3} solar masss/year of gas to the central parsec of the Galactic Center. Spherically symmetric hydrodynamic calculations show that ~ 1 % of this gas, or ~ 10^{-5} solar masses/year, flows in towards the central massive black hole Sgr A*; the remaining gas, ~ 10^{-3} solar masses/year, is thermally driven out of the central star cluster in a wind. This dynamical model accounts for the level of diffuse X-ray emission observed in the Galactic Center by Chandra and the extended X-ray source coincident with Sgr A*; the latter is a direct signature of gas being gravitational captured by the black hole.