Mark Wardle (Department of Physics, Macquarie University)

A guided tour of Sgr A* -Mark Wardle Colloquium

ATNF Marsfield Lecture Theatre

Abstract

I shall review the current state of knowledge about Sgr A*, the enigmatic Galactic centre radio source that is almost certainly a massive black hole. I will outline the theory of the capture and subsequent accretion of material, discuss likely emission processes in the accretion flow, and explain how campaigns to observe correlated variability of this source at different wavelengths are beginning to constrain theoretical models. Future observational prospects are discussed.