Hydrodynamical simulations of a compact source scenario for the galactic center cloud G2

Abstract

The origin of the dense gas cloud G2 discovered in the Galactic Center is still a debated puzzle. G2 might be a diffuse cloud or the result of an outflow from an invisible star embedded in it. We present hydrodynamical simulations of the evolution of different spherically symmetric winds of a stellar object embedded in G2. We find that the interaction with the ambient medium and the extreme gravitational field of the supermassive black hole in the Galactic Center must be taken into account in such a source scenario. The thermal pressure of the hot and dense atmosphere confines the wind, while its ram pressure shapes it via stripping along the orbit, with the details depending on the wind parameters. Tidal forces squeeze the wind near pericenter, reducing it to a thin and elongated filament. We also find that in this scenario most of the Brγ luminosity is expected to come from the densest part of the wind, which has a highly filamentary structure with a low filling factor. For our assumed atmosphere, the observations can be best matched by a mass outflow rate of Mw = 8.8 × 10-8 M⊙ yr -1 and a wind velocity of vw = 50 km s-1. These values are comparable with those of a young T Tauri star wind, as already suggested by Scoville & Burkert. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.