GCIRS 13E
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS) | |
|---|---|
Constellation | Sagittarius |
Right ascension | 17h 45m 39.73s[1] |
Declination | −29° 00′ 29.7″[1] |
| Distance | 26,000 ly (8,000[2] pc) |
| Other designations | |
WR 101f | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
GCIRS 13E is an infrared and radio object near the galactic centre. It is believed to be a cluster of hot massive stars, possibly containing an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) at its centre.
GCIRS 13E was first identified as GCIRS 13, which was later resolved into two components GCIRS13E and W.[3] GCIRS 13E was initially modelled as a single object, possibly a binary system.[4] It was even classified as a Wolf-Rayet star because of its strong emission line spectrum, and named WR 101f.[5] It was then resolved into seven Wolf-Rayet and class O stars.[6] The highest-resolution infrared imaging and spectroscopy can now identify 19 objects in GCIRS 13E, of which 15 are dense gaseous regions. The remaining four objects are stars: WN8 and WC9 Wolf-Rayet stars; an OB supergiant; and a K3 giant.[2]
The motions of the members of GCIRS 13E appear to indicate a much higher mass than can be accounted for by the visible objects. It has been proposed that there may be an intermediate-mass black hole with a mass of about 1,300 M☉ at its centre. There are a number of problems with this theory.[7] However, the true nature of the cluster remains unknown.[2]
GCIRS 13E is a small cluster dominated by a few massive stars. It is thought that massive stars cannot form so close to a supermassive black hole and since such massive stars have a short lifespan it is thought that GCIRS 13E must have migrated inward toward the central black hole within the past 10 million years, probably from about 60 light-years further out than its current orbit. The stars are possibly the remains of a globular cluster where a middleweight black hole such as could develop through runaway star collisions.[7]
References
^ ab Blum, R. D.; Ramírez, Solange V.; Sellgren, K.; Olsen, K. (2003). "Really Cool Stars and the Star Formation History at the Galactic Center". The Astrophysical Journal. 597: 323. arXiv:astro-ph/0307291. Bibcode:2003ApJ...597..323B. doi:10.1086/378380..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ abc Fritz, T. K.; Gillessen, S.; Dodds-Eden, K.; Martins, F.; Bartko, H.; Genzel, R.; Paumard, T.; Ott, T.; Pfuhl, O.; Trippe, S.; Eisenhauer, F.; Gratadour, D. (2010). "GC-IRS13E—A Puzzling Association of Three Early-type Stars". The Astrophysical Journal. 721: 395. arXiv:1003.1717. Bibcode:2010ApJ...721..395F. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/721/1/395.
^ Zhao, Jun-Hui; Goss, W. M. (1998). "Radio Continuum Structure of IRS 13 and Proper Motions of Compact H II Components at the Galactic Center". The Astrophysical Journal. 499 (2): L163. Bibcode:1998ApJ...499L.163Z. doi:10.1086/311374.
^ Coker, R. F.; Pittard, J. M. (2000). "An X-ray binary model for the Galactic Center source IRS 13E". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 361: L13. arXiv:astro-ph/0008091. Bibcode:2000A&A...361L..13C.
^ Van Der Hucht, K. A. (2006). "New Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars, and candidates. An annex to the VIIth Catalogue of Galactic Wolf-Rayet Stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 458 (2): 453. arXiv:astro-ph/0609008. Bibcode:2006A&A...458..453V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20065819.
^ Maillard, J. P.; Paumard, T.; Stolovy, S. R.; Rigaut, F. (2004). "The nature of the Galactic Center source IRS 13 revealed by high spatial resolution in the infrared". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 423: 155. arXiv:astro-ph/0404450. Bibcode:2004A&A...423..155M. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20034147.
^ ab Schoedel, R.; A. Eckart; C. Iserlohe; R. Genzel; T. Ott (2005). "A Black Hole in the Galactic Center Complex IRS 13E?". Astrophys. J. 625 (2): L111–L114. arXiv:astro-ph/0504474. Bibcode:2005ApJ...625L.111S. doi:10.1086/431307.
