Supermassive Research Articles

HYPERION. Shedding light on the first luminous quasars: A correlation between UV disc winds and X-ray continuum.

One of the main open questions in the field of luminous ($L_ bol $) quasars (QSOs) at $z 6$ is the rapid formation ($< 1$\,Gyr) of their supermassive black holes (SMBHs). For this work we analysed the relation between the X-ray properties and other properties describing the physics and growth of both the accretion disc and the SMBH in QSOs at the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). The sample consists of 21 $z>6$ QSOs, which includes 16 sources from the rapidly grown QSOs from the HYPERION sample and five other luminous QSOs with available high-quality archival X-ray data. We discovered a strong and statistically significant ($>3 relation between the X-ray continuum photon index (Gamma ) and the C\ iv disc wind velocity ($v_ C\ iv $) in $z>6$ luminous QSOs, whereby the higher the $v_ C\ iv $, the steeper the Gamma . This relation suggests a link between the disc--corona configuration and the kinematics of disc winds. Furthermore, we find evidence at $>2-3 level that Gamma and C\ iv $ are correlated to the growth rate history of the SMBH. Although additional data are needed to confirm it, this result may suggest that, in luminous $z>6$ QSOs, the SMBH predominantly grows via fast accretion rather than via initial high seed BH mass.

Systematic collapse of the accretion disc across the supermassive black hole population

ABSTRACT The structure of the accretion flow on to supermassive black holes is not well understood. Standard disc models match to zeroth-order in predicting substantial energy dissipation within optically thick material producing a characteristic strong blue/ultraviolet continuum. However, they fail at reproducing more detailed comparisons to the observed spectral shapes along with their observed variability. Based on stellar mass black holes within our Galaxy, accretion discs should undergo a transition into an X-ray hot, radiatively inefficient flow, below a (mass scaled) luminosity of $\sim 0.02\, L_{\rm {Edd}}$. While this has been seen in limited samples of nearby low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN) and few rare changing-look AGN, it is not at all clear whether this transition is present in the wider AGN population across cosmic time. A key issue is the difficulty in disentangling a change in spectral state from increased dust obscuration and/or host galaxy contamination, effectively drowning out the AGN emission. Here, we use the new eROSITA eFEDS Survey to identify unobscured AGN from their X-ray emission, matched to excellent optical imaging from Subaru’s Hyper Suprime-Cam; allowing the subtraction of the host galaxy contamination. The resulting, uncontaminated, AGN spectra reveal a smooth transition from a strongly disc-dominated state in bright AGN, to the collapse of the disc into an inefficient X-ray plasma in the low-luminosity AGN, with the transition occurring at $\sim 0.02\, L_{\rm {Edd}}$; revealing fundamental aspects of accretion physics in AGN.

Constraining the Origin of the Nanohertz Gravitational-wave Background by Pulsar Timing Array Observations of Both the Background and Individual Supermassive Binary Black Holes

The gravitational waves (GWs) from supermassive binary black holes (BBHs) have long been sought by pulsar timing array (PTA) experiments, in the forms of both a stochastic GW background (GWB) and individual sources. Evidence for a GWB was reported recently by several PTAs with origins to be determined. Here we use a BBH population synthesis model to investigate the detection probability of individual BBHs by the Chinese PTA (CPTA) and the constraint on the GWB origin that may be obtained by PTA observations of both GWB and individual BBHs. If the detected GWB signal is entirely due to BBHs, a significantly positive redshift evolution (∝ (1 + z)2.07) of the mass scaling relation between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies is required. In this case, we find that the detection probability of individual BBHs is ∼85% or 64% if using a period of 3.4 yr of CPTA observation data, with an expectation of ∼1.9 or 1.0 BBHs detectable with a signal-to-noise ratio ≥3 or 5, and it is expected to increase to >95% if the observation period is extended to 5 yr or longer. Even if the contribution from BBHs to the GWB power signal is as small as ∼10%, a positive detection of individual BBHs can still be expected within an observation period of ∼10 yr. A nondetection of individual BBHs within several years from now jointly with the detected GWB signal can put a strong constraint on the upper limit of the BBH contribution to the GWB signal and help identify/falsify a cosmological origin.

Repeating Nuclear Transients from Repeating Partial Tidal Disruption Events: Reproducing ASASSN-14ko and AT2020vdq

Some electromagnetic outbursts from the nuclei of distant galaxies have been found to repeat on months-to-years timescales, and each of these sources can putatively arise from the accretion flares generated through the repeated tidal stripping of a star on a bound orbit about a supermassive black hole (SMBH), i.e., a repeating partial tidal disruption event (rpTDE). Here, we test the rpTDE model through analytical estimates and hydrodynamical simulations of the interaction between a range of stars, which differ from one another in mass and age, and an SMBH. We show that higher-mass (≳1M ⊙), evolved stars can survive many (≳10−100) encounters with an SMBH while simultaneously losing few × 0.01M ⊙, resulting in accretion flares that are approximately evenly spaced in time with nearly the same amplitude, quantitatively reproducing ASASSN-14ko. We also show that the energy imparted to the star via tides can lead to a change in its orbital period that is comparable to the observed decay in the recurrence time of ASASSN-14ko’s flares, Ṗ≃−0.0026 . Contrarily, lower-mass and less-evolved stars lose progressively more mass and produce brighter accretion flares on subsequent encounters for the same pericenter distances, leading to the rapid destruction of the star and cessation of flares. Such systems cannot reproduce ASASSN-14ko-like transients, but are promising candidates for recreating events such as AT2020vdq, which displayed a second and much brighter outburst compared to the first. Our results imply that the lightcurves of repeating transients are tightly coupled with stellar type.

X-Ray Bright Active Galactic Nuclei in Local Dwarf Galaxies: Insights from eROSITA

Although supermassive black holes (SMBHs) reside in the heart of virtually every massive galaxy, it remains debated whether dwarf galaxies commonly host SMBHs. Because low-mass galaxies may retain memory of the assembly history of their black holes (BHs), probing the BH occupation fraction of local dwarf galaxies might offer insights into the growth and seeding mechanisms of the first BHs. In this work, we exploit the Western half of the eROSITA all-sky survey (covering 20,000 deg2) and compile a catalog of accreting SMBHs in local (D < 200 Mpc) dwarf galaxies. Cleaning our sample from X-ray background sources, X-ray binaries, and ultraluminous X-ray sources, we identify 74 active galactic nucleus (AGN)–dwarf galaxy pairs. Using this large and uniform sample, we derive the luminosity function of the dwarf galaxy AGN, fitting it with a power-law function and obtaining dN/dLX=(15.9±2.2)×LX−1.63±0.05 . Measuring the offset between the dwarf galaxies' centroids and the X-ray sources, we find that ≈50% of the AGN are likely off-nuclear, in agreement with theoretical predictions. We compare the BH-to-stellar mass relation of our sample with the local and high-redshift relations, finding that our sources better adhere to the former, which suggests that local AGN across different mass scales undergo similar growth histories. Finally, we compare our sources with semianalytical models: while our sample’s shallowness prevents distinguishing between different seeding models, we find that the data favor models that keep SMBHs in dwarf galaxies active at a moderate rate, motivating model improvement by comparison to AGN in the dwarf galaxy regime.

An Estimate of the Impact of Reionization on Supermassive Black Hole Growth

The supermassive black holes (SMBHs) that power active galactic nuclei found at z ≥ 6 were formed during the Epoch of Reionization. Because reionization is an inhomogeneous process, the physical properties of SMBH host-galaxy environments will vary spatially during reionization. We construct a semi-analytic model to estimate the impact of reionization on SMBH growth. Using a series of merger trees, reionization models, and black hole (BH) growth models, we find that early reionization can reduce a SMBH’s mass by up to [50, 70, 90]% within dark matter halos of mass [1012, 1011, 1010] M ⊙ by z = 6. Our findings also suggest that the redshift range in which BH growth is impacted by reionization strongly depends on whether the Eddington accretion rate can be exceeded. If so, we find that BH masses are significantly suppressed principally during the early phases of reionization (z ≳ 10), while they are more readily suppressed across the full redshift range if super-Eddington growth is not allowed. We find that the global average impact of reionization may be to reduce the masses of BHs residing in ≲1011 M ⊙ halos by a factor of ≳2. The census of SMBHs being uncovered by the JWST may offer a means to test the basic prediction that more massive BHs reside in cosmological volumes that are reionized at later times.

Tidal Disruption of a Star on a Nearly Circular Orbit

We consider Roche lobe overflow (RLO) from a low-mass star on a nearly circular orbit, onto a supermassive black hole (SMBH). If mass transfer is unstable, its rate accelerates in a runaway process, resulting in highly super-Eddington mass accretion rates, accompanied by an optically thick outflow emanating from the SMBH vicinity. This produces a 1–4 week long, bright optical/ultraviolet flare, accompanied by a 1–10 year long X-ray precursor and post-cursor emitted from the accretion flow onto the SMBH. Such “Circular Tidal Disruption Events” (TDEs) represent a new class of nuclear transients, occurring at up to 1%–10% of the canonical parabolic tidal disruption event rate. Near-breakup rotation and strong tidal deformation of the star prior to disruption could lead to strong magnetic fields, making circular TDEs possible progenitors of jetted TDEs. Outflows prior to the final stellar disruption produce a circumnuclear environment (CNM) with ∼10−2 M⊙ at distances of ∼0.01–0.1 pc, likely leading to bright radio emission, and also similar to the CNM inferred for jetted TDEs. We discuss broader connections between circular TDEs and other recently identified classes of transients associated with galactic nuclei, such as repeating TDEs and quasi-periodic X-ray eruptions, as well as possible connections to luminous fast blue optical transients such as AT2018cow. We also discuss observational signatures of the analogous RLO of a white dwarf around an intermediate-mass BH, which may be a multimessenger source in the LISA era.

Parameter study for hot spot trajectories around SgrA*

Context. Intense flaring events in the near-infrared and X-ray wavebands of our Galactic center have been the subject of research for decades. In recent years, the GRAVITY instrument of the Very Large Telescope captured the motion and polarimetric signature of such a flare in close proximity to the supermassive black hole. Aims. This study aims to investigate a broad parameter space for hot spot motion in the vicinity of SgrA* and reproduce the observed flaring behavior. Methods. To this end, we have developed a general relativistic radiative transfer code and conducted a parameter study including both planar and ejected hot spot configurations around supermassive black holes. Results. Super-Keplerian orbital frequencies are favored by circular equatorial, cylindrical and parabolic models, whereas conical hot spot trajectories provide a better fit for orbital frequencies below the Keplerian value. Additionally, a distant observer cannot effectively differentiate between Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes, as well as face-on orbits at different observation angles.

AT2023vto: An Exceptionally Luminous Helium Tidal Disruption Event from a Massive Star

We present optical/UV observations and the spectroscopic classification of the transient AT2023vto as a tidal disruption event (TDE) at z = 0.4846. The spectrum is dominated by a broad blueshifted He ii λ4686 emission line, classifying it as a member of the TDE-He class. The light curve exhibits a persistent blue color of g − r ≈ −0.4 mag, long rise, and decline timescale, with a large peak absolute magnitude of M g ≈ −23.2, making it the most luminous of the classical optical TDEs (H, H+He, He) discovered to date by about 1.5 mag. We identify the host galaxy of AT2023vto in archival Pan-STARRS images and find that the transient is located at the galaxy center. Modeling the light curves of AT2023vto, we find that it resulted from the disruption of a ≈8 M ⊙ star by a ≈107 M ⊙ supermassive black hole. The star mass is about 5 times larger than the highest star masses previously inferred in TDEs, and the black hole mass is at the high end of the distribution. AT2023vto is comparable in luminosity and timescale to some putative TDEs (blue featureless continuum), as well as to the mean of a recently identified population of ambiguous nuclear transients (ANTs). ANTs have been speculated to arise from tidal disruptions of massive stars, perhaps in active galactic nuclei, and AT2023vto may represent a similar case to ANTs but in a dormant black hole, thereby bridging the TDE and ANT populations. We anticipate that the Rubin Observatory/LSST will uncover similar luminous TDEs to z ∼ 3.

A Comparison of the X-Ray Polarimetric Properties of Stellar and Supermassive Black Holes

X-ray polarization provides a new way to probe accretion geometry in black hole systems. If the accretion geometry of black holes is similar regardless of mass, we should expect the same to be true of their polarization properties. We compare the polarimetric properties of all nonblazar black holes observed with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer. We find that their polarization properties are very similar, particularly in the hard state, where the corona dominates. This tentatively supports the idea that stellar and supermassive black holes share a common coronal geometry.

Supermassive black hole formation via collisions in black hole clusters

More than 300 supermassive black holes have been detected at redshifts larger than six, and they are abundant in the centers of local galaxies. Their formation mechanisms, however, are still rather unconstrained. A possible origin of these supermassive black holes could be mergers in dense black hole clusters, forming as a result of mass segregation within nuclear star clusters at the center of galaxies. In this study, we present the first systematic investigation of the evolution of such black hole clusters in which the effect of an external potential is taken into account. Such a potential could be the result of gas inflows into the central region; for example, as a result of galaxy mergers. We show here that the efficiency of the formation of a massive central object is mostly regulated by the ratio of cluster velocity dispersion divided by the speed of light, potentially reaching efficiencies of 0.05–0.08 in realistic systems. Our results show that this scenario is potentially feasible and may provide black hole seeds of at least 103 M⊙. We conclude that the formation of seed black holes via this channel should be taken into account in statistical assessments of the black hole population.

The Primary Flare Following a Stellar Collision in a Galactic Nucleus

High-velocity stellar collisions near supermassive black holes may result in a complete disruption of the stars. The initial disruption can have energies on par with supernovae and power a very fast transient. In this work, we examine the primary flare that follows the initial transient, which arises when streams of gas from the disrupted stars travel around the central black hole and collide with each other on the antipodal side with respect to the original collision. We present a simple analytic estimate for the properties of the flare, which depends on the distance of the collision from the central black hole and on the center of mass velocity of the colliding stars. We also present the first-of-their-kind radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of a few examples of stellar collisions and postcollision flow of the ejected gas and calculate the expected bolometric light curves. We find that such postcollision flares are expected to be similar to flares that arise in tidal disruptions events of single stars.

Radio Scrutiny of the X-Ray-weak Tail of Low-mass Active Galactic Nuclei: A Novel Signature of High-Eddington Accretion?

The supermassive black holes (M BH ∼ 106–1010 M ⊙) that power luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs), i.e., quasars, generally show a correlation between thermal disk emission in the ultraviolet (UV) and coronal emission in hard X-rays. In contrast, some “massive” black holes (mBHs; M BH ∼ 105–106 M ⊙) in low-mass galaxies present curious X-ray properties with coronal radiative output up to 100× weaker than expected. To examine this issue, we present a pilot study incorporating Very Large Array radio observations of a sample of 18 high-accretion-rate (Eddington ratios L bol/L Edd > 0.1), mBH-powered AGNs (M BH ∼ 106 M ⊙) with Chandra X-ray coverage. Empirical correlations previously revealed in samples of radio-quiet, high-Eddington AGNs indicate that the radio–X-ray luminosity ratio, L R/L X, is approximately constant. Through multiwavelength analysis, we instead find that the X-ray-weaker mBHs in our sample tend toward larger values of L R/L X even though they remain radio-quiet per their optical–UV properties. This trend results in a tentative but highly intriguing correlation between L R/L X and X-ray weakness, which we argue is consistent with a scenario in which X-rays may be preferentially obscured from our line of sight by a “slim” accretion disk. We compare this observation to weak emission-line quasars (AGNs with exceptionally weak broad-line emission and a significant X-ray-weak fraction) and conclude by suggesting that our results may offer a new observational signature for finding high-accretion-rate AGNs.

Accretion onto a Supermassive Black Hole Binary before Merger

While supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) inspiral toward merger they may also accrete matter from a surrounding disk. To study the dynamics of this system requires simultaneously describing the evolving spacetime and the magnetized plasma. We present the first relativistic calculation simulating two equal-mass, nonspinning black holes as they inspiral from a 20 M (G = c = 1) initial separation almost to merger. Our results imply important observational consequences: for instance, the accretion rate Ṁ onto the black holes first decreases and then plateaus, dropping by only a factor of ∼3 despite the rapid inspiral. An estimated bolometric light curve follows the same profile, suggesting some merging SMBBHs may be significantly luminous past the predicted circumbinary disk decoupling. The minidisks are nonstandard: Reynolds, not Maxwell, stresses dominate, and they oscillate between two states. In one part of the cycle, “sloshing” streams transfer mass between minidisks, carrying kinetic energy at a rate sometimes as high as the peak minidisk bolometric luminosity. We also discover that episodic accretion drives time-varying minidisk tilts. These complex dynamics all contribute to unique cyclical behavior in the light curves of late-time inspiraling SMBBHs. The poloidal magnetic flux on the black holes is roughly constant at a dimensionless level ϕ ∼ 2–3, but doubles just before merger; for significant black hole spin, this flux predicts powerful jets with variability driven by binary dynamics, another potentially unique electromagnetic signature. This simulation is the first to employ our multipatch infrastructure PatchworkMHD, decreasing the computational expense to ∼3% of conventional single-grid methods’ cost.

Core Formation by Binary Scouring and Gravitational Wave Recoil in Massive Elliptical Galaxies

Scouring by supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries is the most accepted mechanism for the formation of the cores seen in giant elliptical galaxies. However, an additional mechanism is required to explain the largest observed cores. Gravitational-wave (GW) recoil is expected to trigger further growth of the core, as subsequent heating from dynamical friction of the merged SMBH removes stars from the central regions. We model core formation in massive elliptical galaxies from both binary scouring and heating by GW recoil and examine their unique signatures. We aim to determine whether the nature of cores in 3D space density can be attributed uniquely to either process and whether the magnitude of the kick can be inferred. We perform N-body simulations of galactic mergers of multicomponent galaxies, based on the observed parameters of four massive elliptical galaxies with cores >0.5 kpc. After binary scouring and hardening, the merged SMBH remnant is given a range of GW recoil kicks with 0.5–0.9 of the escape speed of the galaxy. We find that binary scouring alone can form the cores of NGC 1600 and A2147-BCG, which are <1.3 kpc in size. However, the >2 kpc cores in NGC 6166 and A2261-BCG require heating from GW recoil kicks of <0.5 of the galaxy escape speed. A unique feature of GW recoil heating is flatter cores in surface brightness, corresponding to truly flat cores in 3D space density. It also preferentially removes stars on low angular momentum orbits from the galactic nucleus.

Gravitational lensing of spherically symmetric black holes in dark matter halos

The gravitational lensing of supermassive black holes surrounded by dark matter halo has attracted a great number of interests in recent years. However, many studies employed simplified dark matter density models, which makes it very hard to give a precise prediction on the dark matter effects in real astrophysical galaxies. In this work, to more accurately describe the distribution of dark matter in real astrophysical galaxies, we study the gravitational lensing of black holes in astrophysical dark matter halo models (Beta, Burkert, Brownstein, and Moore). The deflection angle is obtained using a generalized Gibbons-Werner approach. The visual angular positions and the Einstein rings are also calculated by adopting the gravitational lens equation. Specifically, we choose the supermassive black holes in Milky Way Galaxy, Andromeda galaxy (M31), Virgo galaxy (M87), and ESO138-G014 galaxy as examples, including the corresponding fitted value of dark matter halos. The results suggest that the dark matter halo described by the Beta model has non-negligible influences on the gravitational deflection angle and gravitational lensing observations. However, the Burkert, Brownstein, and Moore models have relatively small influences on angular position of images and the Einstein ring.

Gravitational collapse at low to moderate Mach numbers: The relationship between star formation efficiency and the fraction of mass in the massive object

The formation of massive objects via gravitational collapse is relevant both for explaining the origin of the first supermassive black holes and in the context of massive star formation. Here, we analyze simulations of the formation of massive objects pursued by different groups and in various environments, concerning the formation of supermassive black holes, primordial stars, as well as present-day massive stars. We focus here particularly on the regime of small virial parameters, that is, low ratios of the initial kinetic to gravitational energy, low to moderate Mach numbers, and the phase before feedback is very efficient. We compare the outcomes of collapse under different conditions using dimensionless parameters, particularly the star formation efficiency є*, the fraction ƒ* of mass in the most massive object relative to the total stellar mass, and the fraction ƒtot of mass of the most massive object as a function of the total mass. We find that in all simulations analyzed here, ƒtot increases as a function of є*, although the steepness of the increase depends on the environment. The relation between ƒ* and є* is found to be more complex and also strongly depends on the number of protostars present at the beginning of the simulations. We show that a collision parameter, estimated as the ratio of the system size divided by the typical collision length, allows us to approximately characterize whether collisions are important. A high collision parameter implies a steeper increase in the relation between ƒtot and є*. We analyze the statistical correlation between the dimensionless quantities using the Spearman coefficient and further confirm via a machine learning analysis that good predictions of ƒ* can be obtained from є* together with a rough estimate of the collision parameter. This suggests that a good estimate of the mass of the most massive object can be obtained once the maximum efficiency for a given environment is known and an estimate for the collision parameter has been determined.

Two Radio Cores in GPS J1543-0757: A New Dual Supermassive Black Hole System?

We report on the discovery of a dual supermassive black hole system in the radio galaxy J1543−0757, with a projected separation between the two black holes of ∼46 mas. The result is based on recent multifrequency observations using the Very Long Baseline Array and European VLBI Network, which reveal two compact, variable, flat-spectrum, active nuclei within the elliptical host galaxy of J1543−0757. Multiepoch observations from the Very Long Baseline Array also provide constraints on the spectral index and proper motions of all components. The flat spectra of both N and S at both frequencies strongly support the hypothesis that these radio components are associated with two separate, accreting supermassive black holes. The two nuclei appear stationary, while the jets emanating from the weaker of the two nuclei appear to move out and terminate in bright hotspots. The discovery of this system has implications for the number of close dual black holes that might be sources of gravitational radiation.

Late-time X-Ray Observations of the Jetted Tidal Disruption Event AT2022cmc: The Relativistic Jet Shuts Off

The tidal disruption event (TDE) AT2022cmc represents the fourth known example of a relativistic jet produced by the tidal disruption of a stray star, providing a unique probe of the formation and evolution of relativistic jets in otherwise dormant supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Here we present deep, late-time Chandra observations of AT2022cmc extending to t obs ≈ 400 days after disruption. Our observations reveal a sudden decrease in the X-ray brightness by a factor of ≳14 over a factor of ≈2.3 in time, and a deviation from the earlier power-law decline with a steepening α ≳ 3.2 (F X ∝ t −α ), steeper than expected for a jet break, and pointing to the cessation of jet activity at t obs ≈ 215 days. Such a transition has been observed in two previous TDEs (Swift J1644+57 and Swift J2058+05). From the X-ray luminosity and the timescale of jet shut-off, we parameterize the mass of the SMBH in terms of unknown jet efficiency and accreted mass fraction parameters. Motivated by the disk–jet connection in active galactic nuclei, we favor black hole masses ≲105 M ⊙ (where the jet and disk luminosities are comparable), and disfavor larger black holes (in which extremely powerful jets are required to outshine their accretion disks). We additionally estimate a total accreted mass of ≈0.1 M ⊙. Applying the same formalism to Swift J1644+57 and Swift J2058+05, we favor comparable black hole masses for these TDEs of ≲ a few × 105 M ⊙, and suggest that jetted TDEs may preferentially form from lower-mass black holes when compared to nonrelativistic events, owing to generally lower jet and higher disk efficiencies at higher black hole masses.

Prospects of Detecting a Jet in Sagittarius A* with Very-long-baseline Interferometry

Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) images of the horizon-scale emission around the Galactic center supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) favor accretion flow models with a jet component. However, this jet has not been conclusively detected. Using the “best-bet” models of Sgr A* from the EHT Collaboration, we assess whether this nondetection is expected for current facilities and explore the prospects of detecting a jet with very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) at four frequencies: 86, 115, 230, and 345 GHz. We produce synthetic image reconstructions for current and next-generation VLBI arrays at these frequencies that include the effects of interstellar scattering, optical depth, and time variability. We find that no existing VLBI arrays are expected to detect the jet in these best-bet models, consistent with observations to date. We show that next-generation VLBI arrays at 86 and 115 GHz—in particular, the EHT after upgrades through the ngEHT program and the ngVLA—successfully capture the jet in our tests due to improvements in instrument sensitivity and (u, v) coverage at spatial scales critical to jet detection. These results highlight the potential of enhanced VLBI capabilities in the coming decade to reveal the crucial properties of Sgr A* and its interaction with the Galactic center environment.