Swift Monitoring of the Encounter Between SGR A* and the Gas Cloud G2

A dense, cold cloud (G2) is on a collision course with Sgr A*, the radio source at our Galactic Center. G2’s orbit is eccentric and the cloud already shows signs of tidal disruption by the black hole. High-energy emission from Sgr A* will likely increase significantly due to this encounter, peaking at pericenter (mid 2013). We propose Swift monitoring to constrain the duty cycle and emission mechanisms for the brightest, hardest X-ray flares, and to study the X-ray emission properties of Sgr A* as G2 breaks up and feeds gas to the central accretion flow. We will coordinate these Swift observations with ground- and spaced-based observatories (Fermi, Chandra, XMM, and EVLA, in particular) to accomplish detailed, multiwavelength light curves throughout this unprecedented encounter.