Recent X-ray emission events in the Galactic center would be expected to generate an X-ray reflection response within the surrounding clouds of the central molecular zone, in the Galactic disk and even, if powerful enough, in clouds outside our Galaxy. We review here the current constraints on Sgr A*'s past activity obtained through this method, with particular emphasis on the strong evidence that has been gathered for multiple X-ray flashes during the past few hundred years.

Here we present the fundamental properties of the nuclear cluster of the Milky Way. First, we derive its structural properties by constructing a density map of the central 1000″ using extinction-corrected star counts. We can describe the data with a two-component model built from Sersic profiles. The inner nearly spherical component is the nuclear cluster. The outer, strongly flattened component can be identified with the stellar component of the circumnuclear zone. Second, we enlarge the radius inside which detailed dynamics are available from 1 pc to 4 pc. We use more than 10000 individual proper motions and more than 2700 radial velocities. We determine the cluster mass by means of isotropic spherical Jeans modeling. We get a nuclear cluster mass within 100″ of M100″=(6.11 ± 0.52|fix R0±0.97|R0) × 106 M⊙, which corresponds to a total cluster mass of MNC=(13.08 ± 2.51|fix R0± 2.08|R0) × 106 M⊙. By combination of our mass with the flux we calculate M/L=0.50 ± 0.12 M⊙/L⊙,Ks for the central 100″. That is broadly consistent with a Chabrier IMF. With its mass and a luminosity of MKs=−15.30±0.26 the nuclear cluster is a bright and massive specimen with a typical size.

We aim at modeling small groups of young stars such as IRS 13N, 0.1 pc away from Sgr A*, which is suggested to contain a few embedded massive young stellar objects. We perform hydrodynamical simulations to follow the evolution of molecular clumps orbiting around a 4 × 106 M⊙ black hole, to constrain the formation and the physical conditions of such groups.

We find that the strong compression due to the black hole along the orbital radius vector of clumps evolving on highly eccentric orbits causes the clumps densities to increase to higher than the tidal density of Sgr A* and required for star formation. This suggests that the tidal compression from the black hole could support star formation.

Additionally, we speculate that the infrared excess source G2/DSO approaching Sgr A* on a highly eccentric orbit could be associated with a dust enshrouded star that may have been formed recently through the mechanism supported by our models.

A new X-ray transient, XMMU J174505.3-291445, has been detected within the 2012 XMM-Newton scan of the Galactic center. The short 4.7 ks flare, the highly absorbed X-ray spectrum and the relatively low luminosity of the event suggest the association of the source with either the class of very faint X-ray transients or that of supergiant fast X-ray transients. Further analysis, together with the identification of the possible infrared counterpart will help to unveil the true nature of XMMU J174505.3-291445.

High-redshift quasars are thought to reside in the most massive halos in the early universe and should therefore be located in fields with overdensities of galaxies, which are expected to evolve into galaxy clusters seen in the local Universe. In Bañados et al. (2013), we used deep narrow-band imaging to study the environment of the z=5.72 quasar ULAS J0203 + 0012. The redshift range probed by our narrow band selection is Δz ~ 0.1. This was the first time that Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs) were searched for near a z ~ 6 quasar, to provide clues on the surroundings of quasars at the end of the epoch of reionization. The main result of this work is that no enhancement of LAEs has been found in the surroundings of ULAS J0203 + 0012. We discuss different explanations and interpretations for this non-detection of a galaxy overdensity.

We present a brief overview of results obtained from near-infrared polarized observations of Sgr A*, which is associated with the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The observations have been carried out using the NACO adaptive optics instrument at the VLT UT4 in the infrared Ks-band from 2004 to 2012. Several polarized flares have been observed in this time interval which allow us to determine the statistical properties of NIR linearly polarized light from Sgr A*. Linear polarization at 2.2 μm and its variations can help us to constrain the physical conditions of the accretion process around this supermassive black hole.

The extragalactic very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray sky is dominated at the moment by more than fifty blazars detected by the present imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACT), with a majority (about 90%) of high-frequency peaked BL Lac objects (HBL) and a small number of low-frequency peaked and intermediate BL Lac objects (LBL and IBL) and flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQ). A significant variability is often observed, with time scales from a few minutes to months and years. The spectral energy distribution (SED) of these blazars typically shows two bumps from the radio to the TeV range, which can usually be described by leptonic or hadronic processes. While elementary bricks of the VHE emission scenarios seem now reasonably well identified, a global picture of these sources, describing the geometry and dynamics of the VHE zone, is not yet available. Multiwavelength monitoring and global alert network will be important to better constrain the picture, especially with the perspective of CTA, a major project of the next generation in ground-based gamma-ray astronomy.

We present some of preliminary results obtained by our dense monitoring project of the M87 jet with VERA 22 and 43 GHz starting from October 2010. The aims of this monitor are to clarify the detailed physical properties of the M87 jet base near the black hole, including the connection to γ-ray productions, jet kinematics and nuclear opacity. We detected a remarkable increase of the radio flux from the jet base of M87 during an elevated very-high-energy γ-ray activity occurred in the early 2012, suggesting that the γ-ray is produced in the immediate vicinity of the central black hole.

Until recently, the radio sky above 5 GHz was relatively unexplored. This has changed with the completion of the Australia Telescope 20 GHz survey (AT20G; Murphy et al., 2010); a blind survey of the southern sky down to a limiting flux density of 40 mJy. The AT20G survey provides by far the largest and most complete sample of high-frequency radio sources yet obtained, offering new insights into the nature of the high-frequency active galaxy population. Whilst the radio data provides a unique sample of objects, these data alone are insufficient to completely constrain models of radio source properties and the evolution of radio galaxies. Complementary multiwavelength data is vital in understanding the physical properties of the central black hole.

In this talk I will provide a brief overview of the AT20G survey, followed by a discussion of the multiwavelength properties of the high-frequency source population. In particular, I will focus on the optical properties of AT20G sources, which are very different to those of a low-frequency selected sample, along with the gamma-ray properties where we find a correlation between high-frequency radio flux density and gamma-ray flux density. By studying the multiwavelength properties of a large sample of high-frequency radio sources we gain a unique perspective on the inner dynamics of some of the most active AGN.

Galaxies, which often contain ionised gas, sometimes also exhibit a so-called low-ionisation nuclear emission line region (LINER). For 30 years, this was attributed to a central mass-accreting supermassive black hole (more commonly known as active galactic nucleus or AGN) of low luminosity, making LINER galaxies the largest AGN sub-population, which dominate in numbers over higher AGN-luminosity Seyfert galaxies and quasars. This, however, poses a serious problem. While the inferred energy balance is plausible, many LINERs clearly do not contain any other independent signatures of an AGN. Using integral field spectroscopic data from the CALIFA survey, we compare the observed radial surface brightness profiles with what is expected from illumination by an AGN. For 48 galaxies with LINER-like emission we show, that the radial emission-line surface brightness profiles are inconsistent with ionisation by a central point-source and hence cannot be due to an AGN alone. The most probable explanation for the excess LINER-like emission is ionisation by evolved stars during the short but very hot and energetic phase known as post-AGB. This leads us to an entirely new interpretation. Post-AGB stars are ubiquitous and their ionising effect should be potentially observable in every galaxy with gas present and with stars older than ~1 Gyr, unless a stronger radiation field from young hot stars or an AGN outshines them. This means, that galaxies with LINER-like emission are not a class defined by a property but rather by the absence of a property. It also explains why LINER emission is observed mostly in massive galaxies with old stars and little star formation.

We observed Hydroxyl, water, ammonia, carbon monoxide and neutral carbon towards the +50 km s−1 cloud (M−0.02−0.07), the circumnuclear disk (CND) and the +20 km s−1 (M−0.13−0.08) cloud in the Sgr A complex with the VLA, Odin and SEST. Strong OH absorption, H2O emission and absorption lines were seen at all three positions. Strong C18O emissions were seen towards the +50 and +20 km s−1 clouds. The CND is rich in H2O and OH, and these abundances are considerably higher than in the surrounding clouds, indicating that shocks, star formation and clump collisions prevail in those objects. A comparison with the literature reveals that it is likely that PDR chemistry including grain surface reactions, and perhaps also the influences of shocks has led to the observed abundances of the observed molecular species studied here. In the redward high-velocity line wings of both the +50 and +20 km s−1 clouds and the CND, the very high H2O abundances are suggested to be caused by the combined action of shock desorption from icy grain mantles and high-temperature, gas-phase shock chemistry. Only three of the molecules are briefly discussed here. For OH and H2O three of the nine observed positions are shown, while a map of the C18O emission is provided. An extensive paper was recently published with Open Access (Karlsson et al. 2013, A&A 554, A141).

We report about first results of the RoboPol project. RoboPol is a large-sample, high-cadence, polarimetric monitoring program of blazars in optical wavelengths, using a camera specifically constructed for this project, mounted at the University of Crete's Skinakas Observatory 1.3 m telescope. The analysis of RoboPol data is conducted in conjunction with Fermi LAT gamma-ray data, and multifrequency radio data from the OVRO (Caltech), F-GAMMA (MPIfR), and Torun (NCU) monitoring programs. Using carefully selected samples of gamma-ray bright and weak blazars we investigate a connection between their optical polarization behaviour and variability properties in gamma. We examine a relationship of gamma flares with polarization angle rotations relying on robust statistical criteria. We analyse also the optical polarization variability itself in order to establish some restrictions on physical models of blazars jets.

We present results from a high-resolution wide-field imaging observation of the central molecular zone (CMZ) in H13CO+J = (1 − 0) and SiO v=0, J = (2−1) emission lines by using the Nobeyama 45-m telescope in order to depict the high-density molecular gas mass distribution and explore molecular gas affected by interstellar shocks. We found a candidate for ongoing cloud-cloud collision in the Sgr B2 complex. This is identified as a hollow paraboloid-like structure in the l−b−v data cube of both emission lines. The central part of the feature is denser and warmer than the outer envelope and contains a vast amount of shocked molecular gas. These properties are consistent with those expected from simulations of cloud-cloud collisions in the CMZ.

Recently we conducted a mini-survey towards a sample of six massive clouds with surface density >1024 cm−2 in the central molecular zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way, with the SMA at 280 GHz in the compact array and at 230 GHz in the compact/subcompact arrays. The data reveal compact dust continuum peaks, some of which are also associated with organic molecular lines and thermal SiO emission. The subcompact array data helps recover more structures, e.g. the regularly spaced, well-aligned continuum fragments in the 20 km s−1 cloud. Shock tracers such as SiO are found in all the clouds. Our observations suggest potential protostellar origin for some of the dust continuum peaks in these regions.

We present initial results of a study that has more than doubled the time baseline for astrometric measurements of faint stars orbiting the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the Galactic center. The advent of adaptive optics has enabled stars as faint as K = 19 mag to be tracked at 50 mas resolution for the last decade. While similar resolution images exist from the prior decade, they were obtained from speckle imaging data analyzed with the technique of shift-and-add, which limited detections to stars brighter than K = 16 mag. By improving the speckle data analysis technique with speckle holography and using prior orbital knowledge, we are now able to track stars as faint as ∼18 mag at 50 mas resolution through the early Keck speckle data sets (1995-2005). This methodology has already led to the detection of two short-period stars never previously seen in speckle images, such that our data now spans their full orbits. We can now better constrain the orbital parameters of all stars in the intriguing “S-star cluster,” which will ultimately give us insight into the origin of these stars and be used to probe the curvature of space-time in the unexplored regime near a SMBH.

Part of results of the multi-epoch intranight optical spectroscopic monitoring of the Markarian 6 nucleus carried out at the telescopes of 6-m of the Special Astrophysical Observatory (Russia), 2.6-m of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (Armenia) and 2-m of the Tautenburg Observatory (Germany) is presented.

Observations were made in 1979, 1986, 1988-1991 and 2007-2009 during a total of 33 nights with an average sampling rate of 4 spectra per night. TV-scanner and long-slit spectrographs equipped with Image Tube and CCD detector arrays were used. Altogether we analyzed 110 Hβ and 58 Hα region spectra to search for intranight variability in the broad hydrogen emission line profiles. The typical spectral resolutions were 4 Å for scanner spectra, 6 Å for photographic spectra, and 5 Å and 10 Å for CCD spectra. The S/N ratio at the continuum level near the Hβ and Hα lines was in the range 15–50.

The purpose of the search was to look for the characteristic variability signatures of different kinematical models of the broad emission-line region. We considered the centering and guiding errors which can result in differences between spectra.

We found variations in the broad Balmer line difference profiles on time scale of hour with the level of significance of 3.6 σ to 5.0 σ. Variations take the form of narrow, small bumps located at the blue and red sides or only at the blue side of the lines. In the intermediate level of broad line flux, the Hβ and Hα profiles show fine structure. Detected profile changes occurred at the same radial velocity shifts as the details in the fine structure.

The variability is at least 2 orders of magnitude more rapid than any observed for broad Balmer line profiles in AGNs that we are aware of in the literature.

Discovered extremely rapid line-profile variability may be associated with reverberation effects. Two-sided profile changes may indicate the response of circularly rotating hydrogen clouds in the BLR to a light pulse from a central source. One-sided profile variations may be attributed to a response of a non-disk component: the subarcsec scale region of the jet.

Compton thick active galactic nuclei (AGN), which are obscured by column density NH > 1.5 × 104 cm−2, can be difficult to identify. They are certainly cosmically significant, both in producing the observed cosmic X-ray background, and in providing a location where black hole growth is hidden from view. Here I review some recent results from surveys that provide indications of Compton thick AGN, considering X-ray, radio, and infrared selection techniques. I also offer a caution against using mid-infrared silicate features to measure line-of-sight obscuration to active galactic nuclei. Instead, these features better indicate the geometric distribution of dust that the central engine heats. I conclude that the outstanding problem of Compton thick AGN is not the cases where the obscuration is directly associated with the environment of the active nucleus itself, even in the most obscured examples. Instead, we still risk missing the completely buried AGN, which are obscured by large amounts of gas and dust over large solid angles. The solution to finding Compton thick AGN may be to begin the search based on infrared emission and star formation, and then select for nuclear activity.

The Milky Way appears as a typical barred spiral, and comparisons can be made between its nuclear region and those of structurally similar nearby spirals. Maffei 2, M83, IC 342 and NGC 253 are nearby systems whose nuclear region properties contrast with those of the Milky Way. Stellar masses derived from NIR photometery, molecular gas masses and star formation rates allow us to assess the evolutionary states of this set of nuclear regions. These data suggest similarities between nuclear regions in terms of their stellar content while highlighting significant differences in current star formation rates. In particular current star formation rates appear to cover a larger range than expected based on the molecular gas masses. This behavior is consistent with nuclear region star formation experiencing episodic variations. Under this hypothesis the Milky Way's nuclear region currently may be in a low star formation rate phase.

We present the first results of the new CO J = (2 − 1) observations toward the central molecular zone (CMZ) using the NANTEN2 telescope at an angular resolution of 100″. Large area coverage of 4° × 2° in l and b and a high angular resolution of 100″ enable us to investigate detailed structures of the molecular gas in the CMZ including peculiar molecular filaments perpendicularly to the Galactic plane to b > |0.5°|. The major components of the CMZ, e.g., Sgr A, Sgr B and Sgr C cloud complexes, show high CO J = (2 − 1)/J = (1 − 0) ratios around 0.9, indicating highly excited conditions of the molecular gas, while the local foreground components show less than 0.4. The molecular filaments show the typical ratios of 0.6–0.7 indicate that they are indeed located in the Galactic center.

To study physical and morphological characteristics of distant quasars we carry out radio-optical investigation of 30 quasars from the Cambridge 7C catalogue second area (0.097 square radians). All these objects have angular sizes less than 1 arcsec on 102 MHz images. Average values of absolute magnitudes and spectral indices have been calculated for them (M = −26.51 ± 0.25, a = 0.66±0.25). It was shown that 60% of compact radio sources from the FIRST catalogue (1400 MHz) are candidates of distant quasars.