The Milky Way′s supermassive black hole: How good a case is it? A challenge for astrophysics and philosophy of science

3^rd International Conference on High Energy Physics

December 11-12, 2017 | Rome, Italy

Andreas Eckart

University of Cologne, Germany

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Astrophys Aerospace Technol

Abstract :

The compact and, with 4.3+-0.3 million solar masses, very massive object located at the center of the Milky Way is currently the very best candidate for a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in our immediate vicinity. The strongest evidence for this is provided by measurements of stellar orbits, variable X-ray emission, and strongly variable polarized near-infrared emission from the location of the radio source Sagittarius~A* (SgrA*) in the middle of the central stellar cluster. If SgrA* is indeed a SMBH it will, in projection onto the sky, have the largest event horizon and will certainly be the first and most important target of the event horizon telescope (EHT) very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations currently being prepared. It is, however, unclear when the ever mounting evidence for SgrA* being associated with a SMBH will suffice as a convincing proof. Additional compelling evidence may come from future gravitational wave observatories. We treat theory and observations in the framework of the philosophical discussions about (Anti)Realism and Under- determination, as this line of arguments allows us to describe the situation in observational astrophysics with respect to supermassive black holes. Questions concerning the existence of supermassive black holes and in particular SgrA* are discussed using causation as an indispensable element. We show that the results of our investigation are convincingly mapped out by this combination of concepts.

Biography :

Andreas Eckart is a Full Professor for Experimental Physics at the I Physikalische Institut at the University of Cologne Since January 2000. Since 2006, he is an external member of the Max-Planck-Institute for Radioastronomy (MPIfR) in Bonn, Germany, and scientific member of the Max-Planck-Society (MPG). He is a holder of the Otto Hahn Medal awarded by the Max Planck Society in 1984 and the Manne Siegbahn Medal awarded by the Manne Siegbahn Laboratory in 2003, Stockholm University, Sweden. His research interests include galactic center and nuclei of other galaxies.