Relativistic redshift of the star S0-2 orbiting the Galactic Center supermassive black hole
University of California, Los Angeles · Sorbonne Université · +17 more institutions
Abstract
The general theory of relativity predicts that a star passing close to a supermassive black hole should exhibit a relativistic redshift. In this study, we used observations of the Galactic Center star S0-2 to test this prediction. We combined existing spectroscopic and astrometric measurements from 1995-2017, which cover S0-2's 16-year orbit, with measurements from March to September 2018, which cover three events during S0-2's closest approach to the black hole. We detected a combination of special relativistic and gravitational redshift, quantified using the redshift parameter ϒ. Our result, ϒ = 0.88 ± 0.17, is consistent with general relativity (ϒ = 1) and excludes a Newtonian model (ϒ = 0) with a…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 30.39
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 75
Authors
29- TDTuan DoCorresponding
University of California, Los Angeles
- AHAurelien Hees
University of California, Los Angeles, Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais, Systèmes de Référence Temps-Espace
- AGAndrea Ghez
University of California, Los Angeles
- GDGregory D. Martinez
University of California, Los Angeles
- DSDevin S. Chu
University of California, Los Angeles
Topics & keywords
- Supermassive black hole
- Galactic Center
- General relativity
- Tests of general relativity
- Redshift
- Intermediate-mass black hole
- Binary black hole
- Black hole (networking)