Galactic Centre science with an ELT

¹ Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA) Observatoire de Paris / CNRS / UPMC / Université Paris Diderot 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92190 Meudon, France
² PHASE (Partenariat haute résolution angulaire sol espace) partnership between ONERA, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS and Université Paris Diderot
³ Max-Planck-Institute for extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Gissenbachstrasse 1, 85741 Garching, Germany
⁴ Department of Physics, Le Conte Hall, University of California, CA 94720 Berkeley, USA
⁵ Galaxies Étoiles Physique et Instrumentation (GEPI) Observatoire de Paris / CNRS / Université Paris Diderot 5 Place Jules Janssen, 2190 Meudon, France
⁶ Laboratoire d’astrophysique de Marseille (LAM) Observatoire de Haute Provence / CNRS / Université de Provence Aix-Marseille 1, Pôle de l’Étoile Site de Château-Gombert, 38 rue Frédéric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille CEDEX 13, France
⁷ Durham University, University Office, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP, UK

^a e-mail: thibaut.paumard@obspm.fr

Abstract

10m-class telescopes such as the VLT and the Keck Telescope have allowed tremendous progress on the understanding of environment of Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Centre. However, these telescopes and associated instrumentation are reaching limitations which can only be overcome with larger apertures. We will summarise the most recent results in this area: star and gas dynamics, the origin of massive stars in the central parsec, the detection of stars on almost relativistic orbits. We will then anticipate the results that two E-ELT projects, MICADO and EAGLE, are expected to allow.