Magnetic Structure Around the Galactic Center Black Hole Sagittarius A*

Abstract

Using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a global network of radio telescopes, we have captured the first horizon-scale polarized images of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. This result reveals the black hole's magnetic field structure, demonstrating its dynamically significance. Our analysis, combining analytical models and general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations, shows a preference for models with strong magnetic fields to explain the observed polarization patterns. Despite the challenge of time-variable, our findings support a model with high black hole spin and inclination angle. This model, aligning with both polarimetric and total intensity data, advances our understanding of the magnetic environment around Sagittarius A*.

About the Speaker

Dr. CHAN Chi-kwan is an Associate Research Professor at the University of Arizona, focusing on computational astrophysics, particularly in black hole modeling and very-long-baseline interferometry data processing with the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration. He has pioneered using GPUs for astrophysics, developed cloud computing infrastructure for large scale data analysis, and applied machine learning to automate data processing. Dr. Chan also contributes to multiple academic programs in theoretical astrophysics, applied math, and data science.

About the Program

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