ATCA Detection of SiO Masers in the Inner Parsecs of the Galactic Center

TL;DR

This study uses ATCA observations to detect and catalog SiO masers in the Galactic center, revealing new masers and confirming known ones, thus enhancing understanding of stellar activity near the supermassive black hole.

Contribution

First sensitive ATCA survey detecting SiO masers in the inner parsecs of the Galactic center, identifying new masers and confirming known sources.

Findings

Detected five 86 GHz SiO masers in the inner 1 pc.

Identified seven new 43 GHz SiO masers within 2 pc.

Total of 22 43 GHz SiO masers in the region.

Abstract

We present sensitive Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) observations of SiO masers in the inner parsecs of the Galactic center (GC). We detected five SiO J=2-1, v=1 (86 GHz) masers in the innner 25 arcsec (1 pc) of the GC. All the detected 86 GHz SiO masers are previously known SiO J=1-0, v=1 (43 GHz) masers and associated with late-type stars. Eighteen 43 GHz SiO masers were detected within 50 arcsec (2 pc) of Sagittarius A*. Among them, seven are detected for the first time, which brings the total number of 43 GHz SiO masers to 22 in this region.