Abstract
Abstract
The orbital distribution of the S-star cluster surrounding the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way is analyzed. A tight dependence of the pericenter distance r
p on orbital eccentricity e
⋆ is found,
log
(
r
p
)
∼
(
1
−
e
⋆
)
, which cannot be explained simply by a random distribution of semimajor axis and eccentricities. No stars are found in the region with high e
⋆ and large
log
(
r
p
)
or in the region with low e
⋆ and small
log
(
r
p
)
. Although the sample is still small, the G-clouds show a very similar distribution. The likelihood
P
(
log
(
r
p
)
,
(
1
−
e
⋆
)
)
to determine the orbital parameters of S-stars is determined. P is very small for stars with large e
⋆ and large
log
(
r
p
)
. S-stars might exist in this region. To determine their orbital parameters, one however needs observations over a longer time period. On the other hand, if stars would exist in the region of low
log
(
r
p
)
and small e
⋆, their orbital parameters should by now have been determined. That this region is unpopulated therefore indicates that no S-stars exist with these orbital characteristics, providing constraints for their formation. We call this region, defined by
log
(
r
p
/
AU
)
<
1.57
+
2.6
(
1
−
e
⋆
)
, the zone of avoidance. Finally, it is shown that the observed frequency of eccentricities and pericenter distances is consistent with a random sampling of
log
(
r
p
)
and e
⋆ if one takes into account the fact that no stars exist in the zone of avoidance and that orbital parameters cannot yet be determined for stars with large r
p and large e
⋆.
Funder
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Cited by
2 articles.
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