graduate

The dynamical evolution of the S-stars at the Galactic center

TYPEAstrophysics Seminar
Speaker:Fsbio Sntonini
Affiliation:CITA
Organizer:Hagai Perets
Date:11.09.2013
Time:14:30 - 15:30
Location:Lidow 620
Abstract:This talk focuses on the origin of the S-stars, the young stars near the
supermassive black hole (SBH) at the Galactic center. We apply recent
insights about how relativity interacts with Newtonian (star-star)
perturbations near Schwarzschild and Kerr SBHs to the S-stars and put
constraints on competing models for their origin and stellar cusp
parameters. For the first time we show that the orbital distribution of the
S-stars predicted by formation scenarios which invoke the tidal disruption
of binary stars by the SBH are consistent with observations even when
relativistic effects to the motion are considered. I will
show that the S-star orbits can only be reproduced assuming dynamically
relaxed models (i.e., steep density cusps) for the Galactic center and
conclude by discussing the importance of resonant relaxation in terms of
tidal disruption events in galactic nuclei.