G2 can Illuminate the Black Hole Population near the Galactic Center
  Galactic nuclei are expected to be densely populated with stellar and
intermediate mass black holes. Exploring this population will have important
consequences for the observation prospects of gravitational waves as well as
understanding galactic evolution. The gas cloud G2 currently approaching Sgr A*
provides an unprecedented opportunity to probe the black hole and neutron star
population of the Galactic nucleus. We examine the possibility of a G2-black
hole encounter and its detectability with current X-ray satellites, such as
Chandra and NuSTAR. We find that multiple encounters are likely to occur close
to the pericenter, which may be detectable upon favorable circumstances. This
opportunity provides an additional, important science case for leading X-ray
observatories to closely follow G2 on its way to the nucleus.
