The motion of stars near the galactic center: A comparison of the black hole and fermion ball scenarios

Mar, 2001
30 pages
Published in:
  • Astrophys.J. 564 (2002) 274-283
e-Print:

Citations per year

2001200720132019202402468
Abstract: (arXiv)
After a discussion of the properties of degenerate fermion balls, we analyze the orbits of the stars S0-1 and S0-2, which have the smallest projected distances to Sgr A*, in the supermassive black hole as well as in the fermion ball scenarios of the Galactic center. It is shown that both scenarios are consistent with the data, as measured during the last six years by Genzel et al. and Ghez et al. The free parameters of the projected orbit of a star are the unknown components of its velocity v_z and distance z to Sgr A* in 1995.4, with the z-axis being in the line of sight. We show, in the case of S0-1 and S0-2, that the z-v_z phase-space which fits the data, is much larger for the fermion ball than for the black hole scenario. Future measurements of the positions or radial velocities of S0-1 and S0-2 could reduce this allowed phase-space and eventually rule out one of the currently acceptable scenarios. This may shed some light into the nature of the supermassive compact dark object, or dark matter in general at the center of our Galaxy.
Note:
  • 30 pages, 12 figures, Latex, aasms4 style
  • black hole
  • fermion: matter
  • star: orbit
  • galaxy
  • phase space
  • numerical calculations
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