Event Horizon Telescope Research Articles

Shadow and greybody bounding of a regular scale-dependent black hole solution

In this manuscript, we explore the shadow and the greybody bounding characteristics of a regular black hole within 4-dimensional space–time, employing the context of gravity that is scale-dependent. Our focus lies in determining limitations on the parameter denoted as ϵ̃, which serves as a descriptor for the scale-dependent solution with respect to the classically observed shadow radius Rsh as indicated in the documented data from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). Our result indicates that there is a unique value for ϵ̃ occurring at the reported mean of Rsh and the uncertainties could be the result of the fluctuating value of the scale-dependent parameter. We found that ϵ̃>0 is positive for Sgr. A*, but ϵ̃<0 for M87*. Utilizing M87* as a reference model, we scrutinized the shadow radius and weak deflection angle within the specified constraints. Discrepancies were observed not only in the shadow but also in the deflection angle of photons, particularly when the photon’s impact parameter closely approached the critical impact parameter.

Microlensing black hole shadows

ABSTRACT A detailed analysis is presented of gravitational microlensing by intervening compact objects of the black hole shadows imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). We show how the centre, size, and shape of the shadow depend on the Einstein angle relative to the true/unlensed shadow size, and how the location of the lens affects the shift, size, and asymmetry of the black hole shadow due to microlensing. Assuming a supermassive black hole (SMBH) casts a circular-shaped true shadow, microlensing can create an asymmetry of up to approximately 8 per cent, which is twice the asymmetry caused by the SMBH’s spin and its tilt relative to us. Furthermore, the size can be enhanced by ∼50 per cent of the true shadow. Currently, the terrestrial baselines of EHT lack the resolution to detect microlensing signatures in the shadows. However, future expansions of EHT, including space-based baselines at the Moon and L2, could potentially enable the detection of microlensing events. For Sgr A*, an event rate of 0.0014 per year makes the microlensing phenomena difficult to observe even with space-based baselines for the stellar population in the stellar bulge and stellar disc for lens masses ∼M⊙. None the less, the presence of a cluster of 20 000 stellar-mass black holes in the central parsec of the Milky Way, expected to arise from dynamical friction acting on infalling stellar clusters, significantly boosts the event rate. Hence, continuously monitoring the shadow of Sgr A* could offer novel insights into the compact object population surrounding the Galactic Centre.

Constraining the Existence of Axion Clouds in M87* with Closure Trace Analyses

Black holes can amplify incoming bosonic waves via rotational superradiance, inducing bound states of ultralight bosons around them. This phenomenon has the potential to confine the parameter spaces of new bosons. Axions and axion-like particles (ALPs) are candidate beyond-standard-model particles that can form such clouds around supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and impact the polarization signal in a similar fashion to Faraday rotation via axion–photon coupling. Prior efforts have used polarized images from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) M87 2017 observations to limit the dimensionless axion–photon coupling to previously unexplored regions. However, with the novel calibration-insensitive quantities, closure traces, and conjugate closure trace products, it is possible to constrain the existence of axion clouds while avoiding the dominant sources of systematic uncertainties, e.g., station gains and polarization leakages. We utilize a simple geometric model for the polarization map of M87* to fit the model parameters with both simulated and real data sets and reach a comparable level of constraint in the accuracy with which an axion cloud may be excluded in M87. Future applications of our approach include subsequent M87* and Sgr A* observations by EHT and the next-generation EHT that are expected to produce stronger constraints across a wider range of axion and ALP masses. Because it does not require imaging, closure trace analyses may be applied to target active galactic nuclei for which imaging is marginal, extending the number of SMBHs from which axion limits may be obtained significantly.

Ordered magnetic fields around the 3C 84 central black hole

Context. 3C 84 is a nearby radio source with a complex total intensity structure, showing linear polarisation and spectral patterns. A detailed investigation of the central engine region necessitates the use of very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) above the hitherto available maximum frequency of 86 GHz. Aims. Using ultrahigh resolution VLBI observations at the currently highest available frequency of 228 GHz, we aim to perform a direct detection of compact structures and understand the physical conditions in the compact region of 3C 84. Methods. We used Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) 228 GHz observations and, given the limited (u, v)-coverage, applied geometric model fitting to the data. Furthermore, we employed quasi-simultaneously observed, ancillary multi-frequency VLBI data for the source in order to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the core structure. Results. We report the detection of a highly ordered, strong magnetic field around the central, supermassive black hole of 3C 84. The brightness temperature analysis suggests that the system is in equipartition. We also determined a turnover frequency of νm = (113 ± 4) GHz, a corresponding synchrotron self-absorbed magnetic field of BSSA = (2.9 ± 1.6) G, and an equipartition magnetic field of Beq = (5.2 ± 0.6) G. Three components are resolved with the highest fractional polarisation detected for this object (mnet = (17.0 ± 3.9)%). The positions of the components are compatible with those seen in low-frequency VLBI observations since 2017–2018. We report a steeply negative slope of the spectrum at 228 GHz. We used these findings to test existing models of jet formation, propagation, and Faraday rotation in 3C 84. Conclusions. The findings of our investigation into different flow geometries and black hole spins support an advection-dominated accretion flow in a magnetically arrested state around a rapidly rotating supermassive black hole as a model of the jet-launching system in the core of 3C 84. However, systematic uncertainties due to the limited (u, v)-coverage, however, cannot be ignored. Our upcoming work using new EHT data, which offer full imaging capabilities, will shed more light on the compact region of 3C 84.

Balanced Turbulence and the Helicity Barrier in Black Hole Accretion

Horizon-scale observations from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) have enabled precision study of supermassive black hole accretion. Contemporary accretion modeling often treats the inflowing plasma as a single, thermal fluid, but microphysical kinetic effects can lead to significant deviations from this idealized picture. We investigate how the helicity barrier influences EHT-accessible electromagnetic observables by employing a simple model for electron heating based on kinetic physics and the cascade of energy and helicity in unbalanced turbulence. Although the helicity barrier plays only a minor role in regions with high plasma β, like in standard and normal evolution (SANE) disks, it may substantially impact regions with more ordered magnetic fields, such as the jet and its surrounding wind in SANE flows as well as throughout the entire domain in magnetically arrested disk (MAD) flows. In SANE flows, emission shifts from the funnel wall toward the lower-magnetization disk region; in MAD flows the emission morphology remains largely unchanged. Including the helicity barrier leads to characteristically lower electron temperatures, and neglecting it can lead to underestimated accretion rates and inferred jet powers. The corresponding higher plasma densities result in increased depolarization and Faraday depths thereby decreasing the amplitude of the β 2 coefficient while leaving its angle unchanged. Both the increased jet power and lower β2 may help alleviate outstanding tensions between modeling and EHT observations. We also find that the estimated ring diameter may be underestimated when the helicity barrier is neglected. Our results underscore the significance of the helicity barrier in shaping black hole observables and inferred accretion system parameters.

Imaging ultracompact objects with radiatively inefficient accretion flows

Context. Recent Event Horizon Telescope observations of M 87* and Sgr A* strongly suggest the presence of a supermassive black hole at their respective cores. We use the semi-analytic radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAF) model to investigate the resulting images of the Joshi–Malafarina–Narayan (JMN-1) naked singularity and the Schwarzschild black hole. Aims. We chose the JMN-1 naked singularity model and compared the synchrotron images with the Schwarzschild solution to search for any distinct features that can distinguish the two objects and to find an alternative to the solution with a black hole. Methods. We performed general relativistic ray-tracing and radiative transfer simulations using the Brahma code to generate synchrotron-emission images using the thermal distribution function for emissivity and absorptivity. We investigated effects in the images by varying the inclination angle, the disk width, and the frequency. Results. The shadow images simulated with the JMN-1 model closely resemble those generated by the Schwarzschild black hole. The disparities between the two images are very small. We conducted simulations using various plasma parameters, but the resulting images remained largely consistent for both scenarios. This similarity is evident in the horizontal cross-sectional brightness profiles of the two scenarios. Notably, the JMN-1 model exhibits a slightly higher intensity than the Schwarzschild black hole. Conclusions. We conclude that JMN-1 is a viable substitute for the black hole scenario. This conclusion is not solely grounded in the fact that the two scenarios are indistinguishable from their respective shadow observations, but also in the consideration that JMN-1 emerges as an end state of a continual gravitational collapse. This paradigm not only allows for constraints on spacetime, but also provides a good probe for the nature of the central compact object.

New-generation maximum entropy method: a Lagrangian-based algorithm for dynamic reconstruction of interferometric data

ABSTRACT Imaging interferometric data in radio astronomy requires the use of non-linear algorithms that rely on different assumptions on the source structure and may produce non-unique results. This is especially true for very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations, where the sampling of Fourier space is very sparse. A basic tenet in standard VLBI imaging techniques is to assume that the observed source structure does not evolve during the observation. However, the recent VLBI results of the supermassive black hole at our Galactic Centre (Sagittarius A*), recently reported by the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, require the development of dynamic imaging algorithms, since it exhibits variability at minute time-scales. In this paper, we introduce a new non-convex optimization problem that extends the standard maximum entropy method (MEM), for reconstructing intra-observation dynamical images from interferometric data that evolve in every integration time. We present a rigorous mathematical formalism to solve the problem via the primal–dual approach. We build a Newton strategy and we give its numerical complexity. We also give a strategy to iteratively improve the obtained solution and, finally, we define a novel figure of merit to evaluate the quality of the recovered solution. Then, we test the algorithm, called the new-generation MEM (ngMEM), in different synthetic data sets, with increasing difficulty. Finally, we compare it with another well-established dynamical imaging method. Within this comparison, we have identified a significant improvement of the ngMEM reconstructions. Moreover, the evaluation of the integration time evolution scheme and the time contribution showed that this method can play a crucial role in obtaining good dynamic reconstructions.

Microwave Receiving System Based on Cryogenic Sensors for the Optical Big Telescope Alt-Azimuth.

This article presents the results of evaluating the possibility of conducting radio astronomy studies in the windows of atmospheric transparency ~100, ~230, and ~350 GHz using the optical Big Telescope Alt-Azimuthal (BTA) of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SAO RAS). A list of some promising astronomical tasks is proposed. The astroclimat conditions at the BTA site and possible optical, cryogenic, and mechanical interfaces for mounting a superconducting radio receiver at the focus of the optical telescope are considered. As a receiving system, arrays of detectors cooled to ~0.3 K based on the superconductor-insulator-normal metal-insulator-superconductor (SINIS) structure are proposed. The implementation of the project will make it possible to use the BTA site of the SAO RAS not only to solve some astronomical problems (it is possible to consider the implementation of a single observatory, the VLBI (very-long-baseline interferometry) mode in the Suffa, EHT (Event Horizon Telescope), and Millimetron projects), but it will also be used to test various cryogenic detectors in a real observatory.

Interferometric image reconstruction using closure invariants and machine learning

Abstract Interferometric closure invariants encode calibration-independent details of an object’s morphology. Excepting simple cases, a direct backward transformation from closure invariants to morphologies is not well established. We demonstrate using simple Machine Learning models that closure invariants can aid in morphological classification and parameter estimation. We consider six phenomenologically parametrized morphologies: point-like, uniform circular disc, crescent, dual disc, crescent with elliptical accretion disc, and crescent with double jet lobes. Using logistic regression (LR), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and random forest models on closure invariants obtained from a sparsely covered aperture, we find that all methods except LR can classify morphologies with $\gtrsim$80 per cent accuracy, which improves with greater aperture coverage. Separately from the classification problem, given an independently confirmed class, we estimate parameters of uniform circular disc, crescent, and dual disc morphologies using simple MLP models, and parametrically reconstruct images. The estimated parameters and images correspond well with inputs, but the accuracy worsens when degeneracies between parameters are present. This independent approach to interferometric imaging under challenging observing conditions such as that faced by the Event Horizon Telescope and Very Long Baseline Interferometry, in general, can complement other methods in robustly constraining an object’s morphology.

Synthetic gravitational lens image of the Sagittarius A* black hole with a thin disc model

ABSTRACT The images of Sagittarius A* published by the Event Horizon Telescope (ETH) Collaboration in 2022 present features that were associated with an emission ring consistent with what is expected from an accretion disc surrounding the supermassive black hole at the centre of our Galaxy. Here, we generate images of Sgr A* across different configurations of a simple accretion disc model that became successful, in our previous work, in reproducing the main features observed in M87*. Their best image, here reproduced in Fig. 1, suggests a geometric configuration of an inclined disc with three bright regions; which we have considered as our first configuration. Since we were not convinced with the results of this first configuration, we also explore in detail the case of nearly edge-on orientations which are a priori the expected geometry for a relaxed disc, as seen from the plane of the Galaxy. We have produced simulated images using an efficient ray tracing and geodesic deviation methodology that allows to account for deformation, relativistic, and magnification effects. We compare our synthetic images with the EHT images reconstructed with data from April 6 and 7 of 2017. We found that, although the EHT Collaboration seems to discard the image from April 6, our best suggested image resembles the output from the themis pipeline for April 6; which for us gives support for the edge-on configuration.

Future Prospects for Constraining Black Hole Spacetime: Horizon-scale Variability of Astrophysical Jets

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration has recently published the first horizon-scale images of the supermassive black holes M87* and Sgr A* and provided some first information on the physical conditions in their vicinity. The comparison between the observations and the three-dimensional general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations has enabled the EHT to set initial constraints on the properties of these black hole spacetimes. However, accurately distinguishing the properties of the accretion flow from those of the spacetime, most notably, the black hole mass and spin, remains challenging because of the degeneracies the emitted radiation suffers when varying the properties of the plasma and those of the spacetime. The next-generation EHT (ngEHT) observations are expected to remove some of these degeneracies by exploring the complex interplay between the disk–jet dynamics, which represents one of the most promising tools for extracting information on the black hole spin. By using GRMHD simulations of magnetically arrested disks and general relativistic radiative transfer (GRRT) calculations of the emitted radiation, we have studied the properties of the jet and the accretion disk dynamics on spatial scales that are comparable with the horizon. In this way, we are able to highlight that the radial and azimuthal dynamics of the jet are well correlated with the black hole spin. Based on the resolution and image reconstruction capabilities of the ngEHT observations of M87*, we can assess the detectability and associated uncertainty of this correlation. Overall, our results serve to assess the prospects for constraining the black hole spin with future EHT observations.

The persistent shadow of the supermassive black hole of M 87

In April 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration reported the first-ever event-horizon-scale images of a black hole, resolving the central compact radio source in the giant elliptical galaxy M 87. These images reveal a ring with a southerly brightness distribution and a diameter of ∼42 μas, consistent with the predicted size and shape of a shadow produced by the gravitationally lensed emission around a supermassive black hole. These results were obtained as part of the April 2017 EHT observation campaign, using a global very long baseline interferometric radio array operating at a wavelength of 1.3 mm. Here, we present results based on the second EHT observing campaign, taking place in April 2018 with an improved array, wider frequency coverage, and increased bandwidth. In particular, the additional baselines provided by the Greenland telescope improved the coverage of the array. Multiyear EHT observations provide independent snapshots of the horizon-scale emission, allowing us to confirm the persistence, size, and shape of the black hole shadow, and constrain the intrinsic structural variability of the accretion flow. We have confirmed the presence of an asymmetric ring structure, brighter in the southwest, with a median diameter of 43.3−3.1+1.5 μas. The diameter of the 2018 ring is remarkably consistent with the diameter obtained from the previous 2017 observations. On the other hand, the position angle of the brightness asymmetry in 2018 is shifted by about 30° relative to 2017. The perennial persistence of the ring and its diameter robustly support the interpretation that the ring is formed by lensed emission surrounding a Kerr black hole with a mass ∼6.5 × 109 M⊙. The significant change in the ring brightness asymmetry implies a spin axis that is more consistent with the position angle of the large-scale jet.

Shadows of loop quantum black holes: semi-analytical simulations of loop quantum gravity effects on Sagittarius A* and M87*

In this study, we delve into the observational implications of rotating Loop Quantum Black Holes (LQBHs) within an astrophysical framework. We employ semi-analytical General Relativistic Radiative Transfer (GRRT) computations to study the emission from the accretion flow around LQBHs. Our findings indicate that the increase of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) effects results in an enlargement of the rings from LQBHs, thereby causing a more circular polarization pattern in the shadow images. We make comparisons with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations of Sgr A* and M87*, which enable us to determine an upper limit for the polymetric function P in LQG. The upper limit for Sgr A* is 0.2, while for M87* it is 0.07. Both black holes exhibit a preference for a relatively high spin (a ≳ 0.5 for Sgr A* and 0.5 ≲ a ≲ 0.7 for M87*). The constraints for Sgr A* are based on black hole spin and ring diameter, whereas for M87*, the constraints are further tightened by the polarimetric pattern. In essence, our simulations provide observational constraints on the effect of LQG in supermassive black holes (SMBH), providing the most consistent comparison with observation.

“Blame it on the Black Star”: Black Holes in Culture

“Black holes” continue to compel the human imagination, as demonstrated by the public reception of the first images of a black hole produced by the Event Horizon Telescope in 2019 or the success of Hollywood science fiction movies like Christopher Nolan’s 2014 film Interstellar that depicts what it might be like to fall into one. My study traces the discovery of “black holes” in the 20th century – collapsed stars with so much gravity that nothing can escape them, not even light – regarding how scientists talked about them and their emergence in popular culture. This begins with discussing how influential scientists weighed in on the concept and how the scientific community finally settled on the term “black hole.” The study then considers various ways black holes have percolated into every aspect of culture: from TV to movies, popular science to modern rock. It concludes with a consideration of the more recent turn in the cultural meaning of this “exotic object,” particularly as it relates to the myth of the lone scientist, women scientists, and the climate crisis, but also the risk of nuclear war.

On the comparison of AGN with GRMHD simulations – II. M87

ABSTRACT Horizon-scale observations of the jetted active galactic nucleus M87 are compared with simulations spanning a broad range of dissipation mechanisms and plasma content in three-dimensional general relativistic flows around spinning black holes. Observations of synchrotron radiation from radio to X-ray frequencies can be compared with simulations by adding prescriptions specifying the relativistic electron-plus-positron distribution function and associated radiative transfer coefficients. A suite of time-varying simulations with various spins, plasma magnetizations and turbulent heating and equipartition-based emission prescriptions (and piecewise combinations thereof) is chosen to represent distinct possibilities for the M87 jet/accretion flow/black hole system. Simulation jet morphology, polarization, and variation are then ‘observed’ and compared with real observations to infer the rules that govern the polarized emissivity. Our models support several possible spin/emission model/plasma composition combinations supplying the jet in M87, whose black hole shadow has been observed down to the photon ring at 230 GHz by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). Net linear polarization and circular polarization constraints favour magnetically arrested disc (MAD) models whereas resolved linear polarization favours standard and normal evolution (SANE) in our parameter space. We also show that some MAD cases dominated by intrinsic circular polarization have near-linear V/I dependence on un-paired electron or positron content while SANE polarization exhibits markedly greater positron-dependent Faraday effects – future probes of the SANE/MAD dichotomy and plasma content with the EHT. This is the second work in a series also applying the ‘observing’ simulations methodology to near-horizon regions of supermassive black holes in Sgr A* and 3C 279.

Generating images of the M87* black hole using GANs

ABSTRACT In this paper, we introduce a novel data augmentation methodology based on Conditional Progressive Generative Adversarial Networks (CPGAN) to generate diverse black hole (BH) images, accounting for variations in spin and electron temperature prescriptions. These generated images are valuable resources for training deep learning algorithms to accurately estimate black hole parameters from observational data. Our model can generate BH images for any spin value within the range of [−1, 1], given an electron temperature distribution. To validate the effectiveness of our approach, we employ a convolutional neural network to predict the BH spin using both the GRMHD images and the images generated by our proposed model. Our results demonstrate a significant performance improvement when training is conducted with the augmented data set while testing is performed using GRMHD simulated data, as indicated by the high R2 score. Consequently, we propose that GANs can be employed as cost-effective models for black hole image generation and reliably augment training data sets for other parametrization algorithms.

Constraints via the Event Horizon Telescope for Black Hole Solutions with Dark Matter under the Generalized Uncertainty Principle Minimal Length Scale Effect

AbstractFour spherically symmetric but non‐asymptotically flat black hole solutions surrounded with spherical dark matter distribution perceived under the minimal length scale effect is derived via the generalized uncertainty principle. Here, the effect of this quantum correction, described by the parameter , is considered on a toy model galaxy with dark matter and the three well‐known dark matter distributions: the cold dark matter, scalar field dark matter, and the universal rotation curve. The aim is to find constraints to by applying these solutions to the known supermassive black holes: Sagittarius A (Sgr. A*) and Messier 87* (M87*), in conjunction with the available Event Horizon telescope. The effect of is then examined on the event horizon, photonsphere, and shadow radii, where unique deviations from the Schwarzschild case are observed. As for the shadow radii, bounds are obtained for the values of on each black hole solution at confidence level. The results revealed that under minimal length scale effect, black holes can give positive (larger shadow) and negative values (smaller shadow) of , which are supported indirectly by laboratory experiments and astrophysical or cosmological observations, respectively.

Synchrotron Polarization Signatures of Surface Waves in Supermassive Black Hole Jets

Supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei are known to launch relativistic jets, which are observed across the entire electromagnetic spectrum and thought to be efficient particle accelerators. Their primary radiation mechanism for radio emission is polarized synchrotron emission produced by a population of nonthermal electrons. In this Letter, we present a global general relativistic magnetohydrodynamical (GRMHD) simulation of a magnetically arrested disk (MAD). After the simulation reaches the MAD state, we show that waves are continuously launched from the vicinity of the black hole and propagate along the interface between the jet and the wind. At this interface, a steep gradient in velocity is present between the mildly relativistic wind and the highly relativistic jet. The interface is, therefore, a shear layer, and due to the shear, the waves generate roll-ups that alter the magnetic field configuration and the shear layer geometry. We then perform polarized radiation transfer calculations of our GRMHD simulation and find signatures of the waves in both total intensity and linear polarization, effectively lowering the fully resolved polarization fraction. The telltale polarization signatures of the waves could be observable by future very long baseline interferometric observations, e.g., the next-generation Event Horizon Telescope.

A stationary axisymmetric vacuum solution for pure 2 gravity

The closed-form expression for pure vacuum solution obtained in Phys. Rev. D 107, 104 008 (2023) lends itself to a generalization to axisymmetric setup via the modified Newman–Janis algorithm. We adopt the procedure put forth in Phys. Rev. D 90, 064 041 (2014) bypassing the complexification of the radial coordinate. The procedure presumes the existence of Boyer-Lindquist coordinates. Using the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration results, we model the central black hole M87* by the thus obtained exact rotating metric, depending on the mass, rotation parameter and a third dimensionless parameter. The latter is constrained upon investigating the shadow angular size assuming mass and rotation parameters are those of M87*. Stability is investigated.

A Search for Pulsars around Sgr A* in the First Event Horizon Telescope Data Set

In 2017 the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observed the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), at a frequency of 228.1 GHz (λ = 1.3 mm). The fundamental physics tests that even a single pulsar orbiting Sgr A* would enable motivate searching for pulsars in EHT data sets. The high observing frequency means that pulsars—which typically exhibit steep emission spectra—are expected to be very faint. However, it also negates pulse scattering, an effect that could hinder pulsar detections in the Galactic center. Additionally, magnetars or a secondary inverse Compton emission could be stronger at millimeter wavelengths than at lower frequencies. We present a search for pulsars close to Sgr A* using the data from the three most sensitive stations in the EHT 2017 campaign: the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, the Large Millimeter Telescope, and the IRAM 30 m Telescope. We apply three detection methods based on Fourier-domain analysis, the fast folding algorithm, and single-pulse searches targeting both pulsars and burst-like transient emission. We use the simultaneity of the observations to confirm potential candidates. No new pulsars or significant bursts were found. Being the first pulsar search ever carried out at such high radio frequencies, we detail our analysis methods and give a detailed estimation of the sensitivity of the search. We conclude that the EHT 2017 observations are only sensitive to a small fraction (≲2.2%) of the pulsars that may exist close to Sgr A*, motivating further searches for fainter pulsars in the region.