Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Infrared point sources aligned with the SgrA* non-thermal radio source

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Recent observations1,2 have revealed point sources at wavelengths 0.7–1.0 µm and 1–5 µm, which are approximately aligned with the compact non-thermal radio source SgrA* in the galactic centre. The assembled 0.7–5 µm data indicate that the two point sources are at the same position and have spectral continuity; they are thus probably the same object. Here we discuss alternative interpretations of this infrared point source. If it is a foreground star, it must be a hot star surrounded by a circumstellar dust cloud. If it is an object at the galactic centre, an unorthodox extinction curve is required to derive an intrinsically hot black-body spectral distribution, Fνα ν2, over the 0.7–3.5 µm wavelength range. Under these circumstances the infrared emission may be the Rayleigh–Jeans tail of a hot star or star cluster, or thermal accretion disk with temperature ≃35 × 103 K.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Biretta, J. A., Lo, K. Y. & Young, P. J. Astrophys. J. 262, 578–582 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Forrest, W. J., Pipher, J. L. & Stein, W. A. Astrophys. J. 301, L49–L52 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Brown, R. L., Johnston, K. J. & Lo, K. Y. Astrophys. J. 250, 155–159 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Brown, R. L. Astrophys. J. 262, 110–119 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Biretta, J. A., Lo, K. Y., Boroson, T. A. & Lacy, J. H. Astr. J. 88, 94–96 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Oke, J. B. & Gunn, J. E. Astrophys. J. 266, 713–717 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Storey, J. M. V. & Allen, D. A. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 204, 1153–1161 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Henry, J. P., DePoy, D. L. and Becklin, E. E. Astrophys. J. 285, L27–L30 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Allen, D. A. & Sanders, R. M. Nature 319, 191–194 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Becklin, E. E., Matthews, K., Neugebauer, G. & Willner, S. P. Astrophys. J. 220, 831–835 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Johnson, H. L. Nebulae and Interstellar Matter (eds Middlehurst, B. M. & Aller, L. H. (University of Chicago Press, 1968 167–220).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Becklin, E. E. & Neugebauer, G. Astrophys. J. 151, 145–161 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Merrill, K. M. & Ridgway, S. T. A. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 17, 9–41 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hyland, A. R. IAU Symp. No. 96, 125–151 (1981).

  15. Carrasco, L., Strom, S. E. & Strom, K. M. Astrophys. J. 182, 95–109 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Grasdalen, G., Joyce, R., Knacke, R. F., Strom, S. E. & Strom, K. M. Astr. J. 80, 117–124 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Rydgren, A. E. Astr. J. 85, 444–450 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Becklin, E. E., Gatley, I. & Werner, M. W. Astrophys. J. 258, 135–142 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. McCarthy, J. F., Forrest, W. J., Briotta, D. A. Jr & Houck, J. R. Astrophys. J. 242, 965–975 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Knacke, R. F. & Capps, R. W. Astrophys. J. 216, 271–276 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Roche, P. F. & Aitken, D. K. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 215, 425–435 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Willner, S. P. & Pipher, J. L. Astrophys. J. 265, 760–765 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Lacy, J. H., Townes, C. H., Geballe, T.R. & Hollenback, D. J. Astrophys. J. 241, 132–146 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Pauls, T., Downes, D., Mezger, P. E. & Churchwell, E. Astr. Astrophys. 46, 407–412 (1976).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Lacy, J. H., Townes, C. H. & Hollenback, D. J. Astrophys. J. 262, 120–134 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Lingenfelter, R. E. & Ramaty, R. in Positron-Electron Pairs in Astrophysics, (eds Burns, M. L., Harding, A. K. & Ramaty, R.) 267–272 (American Institute of Physics, New York, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Shields, G. Nature 272, 706–708 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Sandage, A. & Tammann, G. A. Astrophys. J. 191, 603–621 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. Humphreys, R. M. Astrophys. J. 269, 335–351 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, C-011, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA

    W. A. Stein

  2. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, USA

    W. A. Stein

  3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, 14627, USA

    W. J. Forrest

Authors
  1. W. A. Stein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. W. J. Forrest
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stein, W., Forrest, W. Infrared point sources aligned with the SgrA* non-thermal radio source. Nature 323, 232–234 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/323232a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/323232a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation