Accretion of Magnetized Stellar Winds in the Galactic Centre: Implications for Sgr A* and PSR J1745-2900

TL;DR

This study uses 3D simulations of magnetized stellar winds from Wolf-Rayet stars to explain observed rotation measures near the galactic center, providing insights into accretion flows and magnetic field structures around Sgr A* and pulsar PSR J1745-2900.

Contribution

The paper introduces detailed 3D MHD simulations of stellar wind accretion in the galactic center, linking observed RMs and variability to wind-wind shocks and magnetic field configurations.

Findings

RM variability explained by wind-wind shocks in stellar disc

Simulated X-ray luminosity matches observations

Predicted magnetic flux threading Sgr A*'s horizon at 10% of MAD limit

Abstract

The observed rotation measures (RMs) towards the galactic centre magnetar and towards Sagittarius A* provide a strong constraint on MHD models of the galactic centre accretion flow, probing distances from the black hole separated by many orders of magnitude. We show, using 3D simulations of accretion via magnetized stellar winds of the Wolf-Rayet stars orbiting the black hole, that the large, time-variable RM observed for the pulsar PSR J1745-2900 can be explained by magnetized wind-wind shocks of nearby stars in the clockwise stellar disc. In the same simulation, both the total X-ray luminosity integrated over 2-10$''$, the time variability of the magnetar's dispersion measure, and the RM towards Sagittarius A* are consistent with observations. We argue that (in order for the large RM of the pulsar to not be a priori unlikely) the pulsar should be on an orbit that keeps it near the clockwise disc of stars. We present a 2D RM map of the central 1/2 parsec of the galactic centre that can be used to test our models. Our simulations predict that Sgr A* is typically accreting a significantly ordered magnetic field that ultimately could result in a strongly magnetized flow with flux threading the horizon at $\sim$ 10$\%$ of the magnetically arrested limit.