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Article: X-ray polarization evidence for a 200-year-old flare of Sgr A

TitleX-ray polarization evidence for a 200-year-old flare of Sgr A
Authors
Issue Date21-Jun-2023
PublisherNature Research
Citation
Nature, 2023, v. 619, n. 7968, p. 41-45 How to Cite?
AbstractThe centre of the Milky Way Galaxy hosts a black hole with a solar mass of about 4 million (Sagittarius A* (Sgr A)) that is very quiescent at present with a luminosity many orders of magnitude below those of active galactic nuclei1. Reflection of X-rays from Sgr A* by dense gas in the Galactic Centre region offers a means to study its past flaring activity on timescales of hundreds and thousands of years2. The shape of the X-ray continuum and the strong fluorescent iron line observed from giant molecular clouds in the vicinity of Sgr A* are consistent with the reflection scenario3-5. If this interpretation is correct, the reflected continuum emission should be polarized6. Here we report observations of polarized X-ray emission in the direction of the molecular clouds in the Galactic Centre using the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer. We measure a polarization degree of 31% +/- 11%, and a polarization angle of -48 degrees +/- 11 degrees. The polarization angle is consistent with Sgr A* being the primary source of the emission, and the polarization degree implies that some 200 years ago, the X-ray luminosity of Sgr A* was briefly comparable to that of a Seyfert galaxy.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/338948
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 50.5
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 18.509
ISI Accession Number ID

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorMarin, F-
dc.contributor.authorChurazov, E-
dc.contributor.authorKhabibullin, I-
dc.contributor.authorFerrazzoli, R-
dc.contributor.authorDi, Gesu, L-
dc.contributor.authorBarnouin, T-
dc.contributor.authorDi, Marco, A-
dc.contributor.authorMiddei, R-
dc.contributor.authorVikhlinin, A-
dc.contributor.authorCosta, E-
dc.contributor.authorSoffitta, P-
dc.contributor.authorMuleri, F-
dc.contributor.authorSunyaev, R-
dc.contributor.authorForman, W-
dc.contributor.authorKraft, R-
dc.contributor.authorBianchi, S-
dc.contributor.authorDonnarumma, I-
dc.contributor.authorPetrucci, PO-
dc.contributor.authorEnoto, T-
dc.contributor.authorAgudo, I-
dc.contributor.authorAntonelli, LA-
dc.contributor.authorBachetti, M-
dc.contributor.authorBaldini, L-
dc.contributor.authorBaumgartner, WH-
dc.contributor.authorBellazzini, R-
dc.contributor.authorBongiorno, SD-
dc.contributor.authorBonino, R-
dc.contributor.authorBrez, A-
dc.contributor.authorBucciantini, N-
dc.contributor.authorCapitanio, F-
dc.contributor.authorCastellano, S-
dc.contributor.authorCavazzuti, E-
dc.contributor.authorChen, CT-
dc.contributor.authorCiprini, S-
dc.contributor.authorDe, Rosa, A-
dc.contributor.authorDel, Monte, E-
dc.contributor.authorDi, Lalla, N-
dc.contributor.authorDoroshenko, V-
dc.contributor.authorDovciak, M-
dc.contributor.authorEhlert, SR-
dc.contributor.authorEvangelista, Y-
dc.contributor.authorFabiani, S-
dc.contributor.authorGarcia, JA-
dc.contributor.authorGunji, S-
dc.contributor.authorHayashida, K-
dc.contributor.authorHeyl, J-
dc.contributor.authorIngram, A-
dc.contributor.authorIwakiri, W-
dc.contributor.authorJorstad, SG-
dc.contributor.authorKaaret, P-
dc.contributor.authorKaras, V-
dc.contributor.authorKitaguchi, T-
dc.contributor.authorKolodziejczak, JJ-
dc.contributor.authorKrawczynski, H-
dc.contributor.authorLa, Monaca, F-
dc.contributor.authorLatronico, L-
dc.contributor.authorLiodakis, I-
dc.contributor.authorMaldera, S-
dc.contributor.authorManfreda, A-
dc.contributor.authorMarinucci, A-
dc.contributor.authorMarscher, AP-
dc.contributor.authorMarshall, HL-
dc.contributor.authorMassaro, F-
dc.contributor.authorMatt, G-
dc.contributor.authorMitsuishi, I-
dc.contributor.authorMizuno, T-
dc.contributor.authorNegro, M-
dc.contributor.authorNg, CY-
dc.contributor.authorO'Dell, SL-
dc.contributor.authorOmodei, N-
dc.contributor.authorOppedisano, C-
dc.contributor.authorPapitto, A-
dc.contributor.authorPavlov, GG-
dc.contributor.authorPeirson, AL-
dc.contributor.authorPerri, M-
dc.contributor.authorPesce-Rollins, M-
dc.contributor.authorPilia, M-
dc.contributor.authorPossenti, A-
dc.contributor.authorPoutanen, J-
dc.contributor.authorPuccetti, S-
dc.contributor.authorRamsey, BD-
dc.contributor.authorRankin, J-
dc.contributor.authorRatheesh, A-
dc.contributor.authorRoberts, OJ-
dc.contributor.authorRomani, RW-
dc.contributor.authorSgro, C-
dc.contributor.authorSlane, P-
dc.contributor.authorSpandre, G-
dc.contributor.authorSwartz, D-
dc.contributor.authorTamagawa, T-
dc.contributor.authorTavecchio, F-
dc.contributor.authorTaverna, R-
dc.contributor.authorTawara, Y-
dc.contributor.authorTennant, AF-
dc.contributor.authorThomas, NE-
dc.contributor.authorTombesi, F-
dc.contributor.authorTrois, A-
dc.contributor.authorTsygankov, SS-
dc.contributor.authorTurolla, R-
dc.contributor.authorVink, J-
dc.contributor.authorWeisskopf, MC-
dc.contributor.authorWu, KW-
dc.contributor.authorXie, F-
dc.contributor.authorZane, S-
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-11T10:32:45Z-
dc.date.available2024-03-11T10:32:45Z-
dc.date.issued2023-06-21-
dc.identifier.citationNature, 2023, v. 619, n. 7968, p. 41-45-
dc.identifier.issn0028-0836-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/338948-
dc.description.abstractThe centre of the Milky Way Galaxy hosts a black hole with a solar mass of about 4 million (Sagittarius A* (Sgr A)) that is very quiescent at present with a luminosity many orders of magnitude below those of active galactic nuclei1. Reflection of X-rays from Sgr A* by dense gas in the Galactic Centre region offers a means to study its past flaring activity on timescales of hundreds and thousands of years2. The shape of the X-ray continuum and the strong fluorescent iron line observed from giant molecular clouds in the vicinity of Sgr A* are consistent with the reflection scenario3-5. If this interpretation is correct, the reflected continuum emission should be polarized6. Here we report observations of polarized X-ray emission in the direction of the molecular clouds in the Galactic Centre using the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer. We measure a polarization degree of 31% +/- 11%, and a polarization angle of -48 degrees +/- 11 degrees. The polarization angle is consistent with Sgr A* being the primary source of the emission, and the polarization degree implies that some 200 years ago, the X-ray luminosity of Sgr A* was briefly comparable to that of a Seyfert galaxy.-
dc.languageeng-
dc.publisherNature Research-
dc.relation.ispartofNature-
dc.titleX-ray polarization evidence for a 200-year-old flare of Sgr A-
dc.typeArticle-
dc.identifier.doi10.1038/s41586-023-06064-x-
dc.identifier.pmid37344593-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-85162190611-
dc.identifier.volume619-
dc.identifier.issue7968-
dc.identifier.spage41-
dc.identifier.epage45-
dc.identifier.eissn1476-4687-
dc.identifier.isiWOS:001025264100002-
dc.publisher.placeBERLIN-
dc.identifier.issnl0028-0836-

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