G2 can Illuminate the Black Hole Population near the Galactic Center

TL;DR

The paper explores how the approaching gas cloud G2 near the Galactic Center can be used to detect and study the dense population of black holes and neutron stars, enhancing understanding of galactic evolution and gravitational wave sources.

Contribution

It proposes that G2's encounters with black holes can be detected with current X-ray satellites, offering a novel method to probe the Galactic nucleus's compact object population.

Findings

Multiple G2-black hole encounters are likely near pericenter.

Such encounters may be detectable with current X-ray observatories.

This approach provides a new way to study the Galactic Center's black hole population.

Abstract

Galactic nuclei are expected to be densely populated with stellar and intermediate mass black holes. Exploring this population will have important consequences for the observation prospects of gravitational waves as well as understanding galactic evolution. The gas cloud G2 currently approaching Sgr A* provides an unprecedented opportunity to probe the black hole and neutron star population of the Galactic nucleus. We examine the possibility of a G2-black hole encounter and its detectability with current X-ray satellites, such as Chandra and NuSTAR. We find that multiple encounters are likely to occur close to the pericenter, which may be detectable upon favorable circumstances. This opportunity provides an additional, important science case for leading X-ray observatories to closely follow G2 on its way to the nucleus.