ARE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI POWERED BY STELLAR COLLISIONS

Authors
COURVOISIER TJL PALTANI S WALTER R
Citation
Tjl. Courvoisier et al., ARE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI POWERED BY STELLAR COLLISIONS, Astronomy and astrophysics, 308(2), 1996, pp. 17-20
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Journal title
Astronomy and astrophysics → ACNP
ISSN journal
00046361
Volume
308
Issue
2
Year of publication
1996
Pages
17 - 20
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-6361(1996)308:2<17:AAGNPB>2.0.ZU;2-I
Abstract
A dense stellar cluster has been found in the very central regions of the Galaxy. We show that when a very dense cluster of stars surrounds a supermassive black hole the energy released in collisions between st ars moving at velocities close to the velocity of light can be compara ble to the luminosity observed in active galactic nuclei. Energetic st ellar collisions occur at a rate such that the resulting luminosity is highly variable, an observed property of active galactic nuclei.