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| Paper: |
Molecular Clouds: X-ray Mirrors of Galactic Nuclear Activity |
| Volume: |
439, The Galactic Center: a Window to the Nuclear Environment of Disk Galaxies |
| Page: |
446 |
| Authors: |
Ponti, G.; Terrier, R.; Goldwurm, A.; Belanger, G.; Trap, G. |
| Abstract: |
We present the result of a study of the X-ray emission from the Galactic
Centre (GC) Molecular Clouds (MC), within 15 arcmin from Sgr A*. We
use XMM-Newton data spanning about 8 years.
We observe an apparent super-luminal motion of a light front illuminating
a MC. This might be due to a source outside the MC (such
as Sgr A* or a bright and long outburst of a X-ray binary), while it can not be
due to low energy cosmic rays or a source located inside the cloud.
We also observe a decrease of the X-ray emission from G0.11-0.11,
behaviour similar to the one of Sgr B2. The line intensities, clouds
dimensions, columns densities and positions with respect to Sgr A*, are
consistent with being produced by the same Sgr A* flare.
The required high luminosity (about 1.5×1039 erg s-1)
can hardly be produced by a binary system, while it is in agreement
with a flare of Sgr A* fading about 100 years ago. |
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