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Context. We report on new modeling results based on the mm- to X-ray emission of the SgrA* counterpart associated with the massive ~4$\times$106$M_{\odot}$black hole at the Galactic Center.

Context. We report on a successful, simultaneous observation and modeling of the sub-millimeter to near-infrared flare emission of the Sgr A* counterpart associated with the super-massive (4 $\times$106$M_{\odot}$) black hole at the Galactic center.

Context.Stellar dynamics indicate the presence of a supermassive 3-4 $\times$106$M_{\odot}$black hole at the Galactic Center. It is associated with the variable radio, near-infrared, and X-ray source Sagittarius A* (SgrA*).

Context.The near-infrared (NIR) counterpart of Sagittarius A* (SgrA*) at the position of the 4 × 106M⊙supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way has strongly varying flux densities. The broad-band near-infrared spectral index is an essential parameter to determine the underlying emission mechanism for the observed flare emission.

Context.We report on the results of calibrating and simulating the instrumental polarization properties of the ESO VLT adaptive optics camera system NAOS/CONICA (NACO) in the Ks-band.

Context. In 2007 we reported two comet-shaped sources in the vicinity of Sgr A* (0.8” and 3.4” projected distance), named X7 and X3. The symmetry axes of the two sources are aligned to within 5° in the plane of the sky, and the tips of their bow shocks point towards Sgr A*. Our measurements show that the proper motion vectors of both features are pointing in directions more than 45° away from the line that connects them with Sgr A*. This misalignment of the bow-shock symmetry axes and their proper motion vectors, combined with the high proper motion velocities of several 100 km s-1, suggest that the bow shocks must be produced by an interaction with some external fast wind, possibly coming from Sgr A*, or from stars in its vicinity.

Context. We report on a successful, simultaneous observation and modelling of the millimeter (mm) to near-infrared (NIR) flare emission of the Sgr A* counterpart associated with the supermassive (4 × 106$M_{\odot}$) black hole at the Galactic centre (GC). We present a mm/sub-mm light curve of Sgr A* with one of the highest quality continuous time coverages.Aims. We study and model the physical processes giving rise to the variable emission of Sgr A*. Methods. Our non-relativistic modelling is based on simultaneous observations carried out in May 2007 and 2008, using the NACO adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the ESO's VLT and the mm telescope arrays CARMA in California, ATCA in Australia, and the 30 m IRAM telescope in Spain. We emphasize the importance of multi-wavelength simultaneous fitting as a tool for imposing adequate constraints on the flare modelling. We present a new method for obtaining concatenated light curves of the compact mm-source Sgr A* from single dish telescopes and interferometers in the presence of significant flux density contributions from an extended and only partially resolved source.Results. The observations detect flaring activity in both the mm domain and the NIR. Inspection and modelling of the light curves show that in the case of the flare event on 17 May 2007, the mm emission follows the NIR flare emission with a delay of 1.5±0.5 h. On 15 May 2007, the NIR flare emission is also followed by elevated mm-emission. We explain the flare emission delay by an adiabatic expansion of source components. For two other NIR flares, we can only provide an upper limit to any accompanying mm-emission of about 0.2 Jy. The derived physical quantities that describe the flare emission give a source component expansion speed of vexp~ 0.005c–0.017c, source sizes of about one Schwarzschild radius, flux densities of a few Janskys, and spectral indices of α= 0.6 to 1.3. These source components peak in the THz regime. Conclusions. These parameters suggest that either the adiabatically expanding source components have a bulk motion greater than vexpor the expanding material contributes to a corona or disk, confined to the immediate surroundings of Sgr A*. Applying the flux density values or limits in the mm- and X-ray domain to the observed flare events constrains the turnover frequency of the synchrotron components that are on average not lower than about 1 THz, such that the optically thick peak flux densities at or below these turnover frequencies do not exceed, on average, about ~1 Jy.

Context. We report on a successful, simultaneous observation and modelling of the millimeter (mm) to near-infrared (NIR) flare emission of the Sgr A* counterpart associated with the supermassive (4 × 106$M_{\odot}$) black hole at the Galactic centre (GC). We present a mm/sub-mm light curve of Sgr A* with one of the highest quality continuous time coverages.

We discuss mm-wavelength radio, 2.2–11.8 μm NIR and 2–10 keV X-ray light curves of the super massive black hole (SMBH) counterpart of Sagittarius A* (SgrA*) near its lowest and highest observed luminosity states. We investigate the structure and brightness of the central S-star cluster harboring the SMBH to obtain reliable flux density estimates of SgrA* during its low luminosity phases. We then discuss the physical processes responsible for the brightest flare as well as the faintest flare or quiescent emission in the NIR and X-ray domain. To investigate the low state of SgrA* we use three independent methods to remove or strongly suppress the flux density contributions of stars in the central 2´´ diameter region around SgrA*. The three methods are: a) low-pass filtering the image; b) iterative identification and removal of individual stars; c) automatic point spread function (PSF) subtraction. For the lowest observed flux density state all 3 image reduction methods result in the detection of faint extended emission with a diameter of 0.5´´–1.0´´ and centered on the position of SgrA*. We analyzed two datasets that cover the lowest luminosity states of SgrA* we observed to date. In one case we detect a faint K-band (2.2 μm) source of ~4 mJy brightness (de-reddened with AK= 2.8) which we identify as SgrA* in its low state. In the other case no source brighter or equal to a de-reddened K-band flux density of ~2 mJy was detected at that position. As physical emission mechanisms for SgrA* we discuss bremsstrahlung, thermal emission of a hypothetical optically thick disk, synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) emission, and in the case of a bright flare the associated radio response due to adiabatic expansion of the synchrotron radiation emitting source component. The luminosity during the low state can be interpreted as synchrotron emission from a continuous or even spotted accretion disk. For the high luminosity state SSC emission from THz peaked source components can fully account for the flux density variations observed in the NIR and X-ray domain. We conclude that at near-infrared wavelengths the SSC mechanism is responsible for all emission from the lowest to the brightest flare from SgrA*. For the bright flare event of 4 April 2007 that was covered from the radio to the X-ray domain, the SSC model combined with adiabatic expansion can explain the related peak luminosities and different widths of the flare profiles obtained in the NIR and X-ray regime as well as the non detection in the radio domain.

We discuss mm-wavelength radio, 2.2–11.8 μm NIR and 2–10 keV X-ray light curves of the super massive black hole (SMBH) counterpart of Sagittarius A* (SgrA*) near its lowest and highest observed luminosity states. We investigate the structure and brightness of the central S-star cluster harboring the SMBH to obtain reliable flux density estimates of SgrA* during its low luminosity phases. We then discuss the physical processes responsible for the brightest flare as well as the faintest flare or quiescent emission in the NIR and X-ray domain. To investigate the low state of SgrA* we use three independent methods to remove or strongly suppress the flux density contributions of stars in the central 2´´ diameter region around SgrA*. The three methods are: a) low-pass filtering the image; b) iterative identification and removal of individual stars; c) automatic point spread function (PSF) subtraction. For the lowest observed flux density state all 3 image reduction methods result in the detection of faint extended emission with a diameter of 0.5´´–1.0´´ and centered on the position of SgrA*. We analyzed two datasets that cover the lowest luminosity states of SgrA* we observed to date. In one case we detect a faint K-band (2.2 μm) source of ~4 mJy brightness (de-reddened with AK= 2.8) which we identify as SgrA* in its low state. In the other case no source brighter or equal to a de-reddened K-band flux density of ~2 mJy was detected at that position. As physical emission mechanisms for SgrA* we discuss bremsstrahlung, thermal emission of a hypothetical optically thick disk, synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) emission, and in the case of a bright flare the associated radio response due to adiabatic expansion of the synchrotron radiation emitting source component. The luminosity during the low state can be interpreted as synchrotron emission from a continuous or even spotted accretion disk. For the high luminosity state SSC emission from THz peaked source components can fully account for the flux density variations observed in the NIR and X-ray domain. We conclude that at near-infrared wavelengths the SSC mechanism is responsible for all emission from the lowest to the brightest flare from SgrA*. For the bright flare event of 4 April 2007 that was covered from the radio to the X-ray domain, the SSC model combined with adiabatic expansion can explain the related peak luminosities and different widths of the flare profiles obtained in the NIR and X-ray regime as well as the non detection in the radio domain.

Context. We report on the results of new simulations of near-infrared (NIR) observations of the Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) counterpart associated with the super-massive black hole at the Galactic Center.

Context. We report on the results of new simulations of near-infrared (NIR) observations of the Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) counterpart associated with the super-massive black hole at the Galactic Center.Aims. Our goal is to investigate and understand the physical processes behind the variability associated with the NIR flaring emission from Sgr A*. Methods. The observations have been carried out using the NACO adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and CIAO NIR camera on the Subaru telescope (13 june 2004; 30 july 2005; 1 june 2006; 15 may 2007; 17 may 2007 and 28 may 2008). We used a model of synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons in the inner parts of an accretion disk. The relativistic simulations have been carried out using the Karas-Yaqoob (KY) ray-tracing code.Results. We probe the existence of a correlation between the modulations of the observed flux density light curves and changes in polarimetric data. Furthermore, we confirm that the same correlation is also predicted by the hot spot model. Correlations between intensity and polarimetric parameters of the observed light curves as well as a comparison of predicted and observed light curve features through a pattern recognition algorithm result in the detection of a signature of orbiting matter under the influence of strong gravity. This pattern is detected statistically significant against randomly polarized red noise. Expected results from future observations of VLT interferometry like GRAVITY experiment are also discussed.Conclusions. The observed correlations between flux modulations and changes in linear polarization degree and angle can be a sign that the NIR flares have properties that are not expected from purely random red-noise. We find that the geometric shape of the emission region plays a major role in the predictions of the model. From fully relativistic simulations of a spiral shape emitting region, we conclude that the observed swings of the polarization angle during NIR flares support the idea of compact orbiting spots instead of extended patterns. The effects of gravitational shearing, fast synchrotron cooling of the components and confusion from a variable accretion disk have been taken into account. Simulated centroids of NIR images lead us to the conclusion that a clear observation of the position wander of the center of NIR images with future infrared interferometers will prove the existence of orbiting hot spots in the vicinity of our Galactic super-massive black hole.