Sagittarius A*: The Submillimeter Horizon

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The compact radio/IR/X-ray source Sagittarius A* marks the location of the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole. Its proximity allows us to study it at high sensitivity and with angular resolution adequate to separate it from the surrounding stars and gas, which is very difficult in external galaxies. Investigations at all available wavelengths have shown Sgr A* to be extremely under-luminous for its mass, radiating just 10-9 of its Eddington luminosity. Theoretical descriptions of this source invoke a variety of accretion and outflow structures to explain the luminosity and spectrum, but these measurements alone have not allowed us to determine the true structure of the source.
Observations at submillimeter wavelengths provide a unique view of the black hole, probing very compact emission just outside the event horizon. The unique capabilities of the Submillimeter Array have provided entirely new types of data on Sgr A*, which is essential to the development of a complete picture of this source. SMA polarimetry has revealed strong linear and circular polarization that likely originates from just outside the event horizon, providing the only tool we have to study the structure of the accretion flow. VLBI measurements with angular resolution of tens of microarcseconds are beginning to reveal the intrinsic source structure and its variation with wavelength. I will discuss these and other ongoing submillimeter studies and their impact on our understanding of Sgr A*.

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