Joint Astrophysics Colloquium

Our Crowded X-ray Galactic Center

Mel Nynka

McGill Space Institute

The era of X-ray astronomy issued a new understanding of astrophysical processes by observing the high-energy universe. Focusing X-ray telescopes in particular allowed an unprecedented view into previously obscured or undetected objects. The Galactic Center in particular is a complex, crowded region with many interconnected and overlapping astrophysical objects. I will discuss how we can use X-ray observatories, along with complementary multi-wavelength data, to study GC sources such as Sgr A*, nearby supernovae, and X-ray transients, and in turn shed light on the structure and evolution of the Galactic Center.