Colliding with G2 near the Galactic Centre: a geometrical approach
  The object G2 will pass within nearly 100 au from Sgr A* in 2014. Due to its
very short periapse, the study of the dynamical evolution of this object in the
short-term future may offer some insight into the region surrounding the
supermassive black hole at the centre of the Galaxy. With this scenario in
mind, it has recently been proposed by Bartos et al. (arXiv:1302.3220) that,
prior to its perinigricon, G2 will likely experience multiple encounters with
members of the black hole and neutron-star populations believed to orbit near
the Galactic Centre. Here, we further explore this possibility and study the
general case for collisions with the G2 object using the latest orbital
solutions provided by Phifer et al. (arXiv:1304.5280) and Gillessen et al.,
(arXiv:1306.1374) and a Monte Carlo approach to estimate the minimum orbit
intersection distance (MOID) with G2 as a function of the orbital parameters of
the incoming body. Our results indicate that encounters at distances closer
than 100 au started to become statistically significant only during the last
few years or so. MOIDs under 100 au are statistically more probable for the
most dynamically cold orbits. If there is a population of objects moving in
low-inclination, low-eccentricity orbits around the central black hole, the
highest probability for a close encounter with G2 is found to be in the period
2014 January-March but enhanced activity due to encounters may start as early
as 2013 July-August.
