XMM-Newton observation of the galactic centre - evidence against the X-ray reflection nebulae model?

We present preliminary results of a 50 ksec XMM-Newton observation of the Galactic Centre. Due to the excellent spectral resolution of XMM-Newton combined with its high throughput at energies even beyond 7 keV, the iron line complex could be resolved into individual components (neutral. ionized, both in Kalpha and Kbeta) in the spectra of a number of sources. In the spectrum of Sgr A East, we find an overabundance of iron, although less than reported in a recent analysis of Chandra data. No flare from Sgr A* was detected. The large scale diffuse emission seen already by Einstein, ROSAT, and ASCA extending into the north-cast direction is most probably of thermal origin. This region extends from Sgra A East also towards both directions perpendicular to the Galactic Plane ("outflow") and contains some blobs of plasma with a higher temperature. Particularly interesting is the map of the 6.4 keV fluorescence line of neutral iron which shows a very peculiar filamentary structure. Spectral modelling of these filaments is obviously not in agreement with the X-ray reflection nebulae (XRN) model commonly discussed for the origin of the fluorescence line, primarily because we do not see a significant iron absorption edge at 7.1 keV.