Cluster Core Dynamics at the Galactic Center

Abstract

We present results of N-body simulations aimed at understanding the dynamics of young stars near the Galactic center. Specifically, we model the inspiral of a cluster core containing an intermediate mass black hole and $N\sim 50$ cluster stars in the gravitational potential of a supermassive black hole. We first study the elliptic three-body problem to isolate issues of tidal stripping and subsequent scattering, followed by full N-body simulations to treat the internal dynamics consistently. We find that our simulations reproduce several dynamical features of the observed population. These include the observed inner edge of the claimed clockwise disk, as well as the thickness of said disk. We find that high density clumps, such as that claimed for IRS13E, also result generically from our simulations. However, not all features of the observations are reproduced. In particular, the surface density profile of the simulated disk scales as $\Sigma \propto r^{-0.75}$, which is considerably shallower than that observed. Further, at no point is any significant counter-rotating population formed.

ApJ accepted

References in corpus (2)

• The Two Young Star Disks in the Central Parsec of the Galaxy: Properties, Dynamics and Formation
• Self-gravitating accretion disk in Sgr A* few million years ago: was Sgr A* a failed quasar?

Cited by in corpus (12)

• The nuclear cluster of the Milky Way: Our primary testbed for the interaction of a dense star cluster with a massive black hole
• Tidal effects on small bodies by massive black holes
• Explaining the Orbits of the Galactic Center S-Stars
• Dynamical and evolutionary constraints on the nature and origin of hypervelocity stars
• Stellar dynamical evidence against a cold disc origin for stars in the Galactic Centre
• IRS 13N: a new comoving group of sources at the Galactic Center
• Isolated massive stars in the Galactic center: The dynamic contribution from the Arches and Quintuplet star clusters
• Relativistic dynamics of stars near a supermassive black hole
• The Effectiveness of the Kozai Mechanism in the Galactic Centre
• Observational constraints on the formation and evolution of the Milky Way nuclear star cluster with Keck and Gemini
• Discovery of a Dense Association of Stars in the Vicinity of the Supermassive Black Hole Sgr A*
• Merger of Black Holes in the Galactic Center