Kinematics in the Galactic Center with SiO masers | CU Experts

AbstractStellar SiO masers are found in the atmospheres of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars with several maser transitions observed around 43 and 86 GHz. At least 28 SiO maser stars have been detected within ∼2 pc projected distance from Sgr A* by the Very Large Array (VLA) and Atacama Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). A subset of these masers have been studied for several decades and form the basis of the radio reference frame that anchors the reference frame for infrared stars in the Galactic Center (GC). We present new observations of the GC masers from VLA and ALMA. These new data combined with extant maser astrometry provide 3D positions, velocities, and acceleration limits. The proper motions and Doppler velocities are measured with unprecedented precision for these masers. We further demonstrate how these measurements may be used to trace the stellar and dark matter mass distributions within a few pc of Sgr A*.

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