A dynamical model for hot gas in the Galactic center

Winds from massive stars supply similar to10(-3) M-. yr(-1) of gas to the central parsec of the Galactic center. I present spherically symmetric hydrodynamic simulations of the dynamics of this gas. These calculations show that a few percent of the gas, or similar tofew x 10(-5) M-. yr(-1), flows in toward the central massive black hole Sgr A*; the remaining gas, similar to10(-3) M. yr(-1), is thermally driven out of the central star cluster in a wind. This dynamical model accounts for the level of diffuse X-ray emission observed in the central 10 of the Galactic center by Chandra and the extended X-ray source coincident with Sgr A*; the latter is a signature of gas being gravitationally captured by the black hole.