VLBI observations of the compact radio source in the center of the Galaxy.
Abstract
A compact radio source at the galactic center has been detected at 3.7 cm on a very long baseline interferometer composed of the Goldstone 64-m and the Owens Valley 40-m telescopes (separation 242 km). The source has an angular size on the order of or less than 0.02 sec corresponding to a linear size of less than 200 AU, at the distance of the galactic center (10 kpc). The measured flux density is 0.6 plus or minus 0.1 Jy. The brightness temperature of the source is 30 million K if the angular size is about 0.02 sec. Comparison with previous high-resolution observations of the galactic center suggests time variation in the flux density. The nature of the compact radio source is discussed.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- December 1975
- DOI:
- 10.1086/181982
- Bibcode:
- 1975ApJ...202L..63L
- Keywords:
-
- Brightness Temperature;
- Galactic Nuclei;
- Radio Interferometers;
- Radio Sources (Astronomy);
- Flux Density;
- Hydrogen Clouds;
- Milky Way Galaxy;
- Stellar Luminosity;
- Astrophysics