Galactic Centre star formation: the case of the missing gas disc

被引:9
作者
Alexander, R. D. [1 ]
Smedley, S. L. [1 ]
Nayakshin, S. [1 ]
King, A. R. [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Leicester, Dept Phys & Astron, Leicester LE1 7RH, Leics, England
关键词
accretion; accretion discs; black hole physics; stars: formation; Galaxy: centre; SGR-A-ASTERISK; SUPERMASSIVE BLACK-HOLES; ACCRETION DISKS; STELLAR ORBITS; EXTRASOLAR PLANETS; BINARY-SYSTEMS; SAGITTARIUS-A; YOUNG STARS; FU-ORIONIS; INSTABILITY;
D O I
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19849.x
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
We study the dynamical evolution of stars and gas close to the centre of the Milky Way. Any plausible means of forming the young stars observed at the Galactic Centre leaves behind a residual gas disc at similar to 0.01 pc radii. We show that the combined effects of viscous accretion and gravitational interactions with stars do not remove the residual gas efficiently, and that a substantial gas disc, interior to the stellar disc, persists for >10 Myr after the stars form. Since no such disc is currently seen at the Galactic Centre, we argue that it has been accreted by the supermassive black hole. This scenario offers an attractive connection between nuclear star formation and black hole feeding, and we suggest that the missing gas may have been used to power Sgr A*.
引用
收藏
页码:1970 / 1976
页数:7
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