Stellar processes near the massive black hole in the Galactic center

A massive black hole resides in the center of most, perhaps all galaxies. The one in the center of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, provides a uniquely accessible laboratory for studying in detail the connections and interactions between a massive black hole and the stellar system in which it grows; for investigating the effects of extreme density, velocity and tidal fields on stars; and for using stars to probe the central dark mass and to probe post-Newtonian gravity in the weak- and strong-field limits. Recent results, open questions and future prospects are reviewed in the wider context of the theoretical framework and physical processes that underlie them. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.