The Orion-Taurus ridge: a synchrotron radio loop at the edge of the Orion-Eridanus superbubble

Large-scale synchrotron loops are recognized as the main source of diffuse radio-continuum emission in the Galaxy at intermediate and high Galactic latitudes. Their origin, however, remains rather unexplained. Using a combination of multi-frequency data in the radio band of total and polarized intensities, for the first time in this letter, we associate one arc -- hereafter, the Orion-Taurus ridge -- with the wall of the most prominent stellar-feedback blown shell in the Solar neighborhood, namely the Orion-Eridanus superbubble. We traced the Orion-Taurus ridge using 3D maps of interstellar dust extinction and column-density maps of molecular gas, $N_{\rm H_2}$. We found the Orion-Taurus ridge at a distance of 400\,pc, with a plane-of-the-sky extent of $180$\,pc. Its median $N_{\rm H_2}$ value is $(1.4^{+2.6}_{-0.6})\times 10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$. Thanks to the broadband observations below 100 MHz of the Long Wavelength Array, we also computed the low-frequency spectral-index map of synchrotron emissivity, $\beta$, in the Orion-Taurus ridge. We found a flat distribution of $\beta$ with a median value of $-2.24^{+0.03}_{-0.02}$ that we interpreted in terms of depletion of low-energy ($<$ GeV) cosmic-ray electrons in recent supernova remnants ($10^5$ - $10^6$ yrs). Our results are consistent with plane-of-the-sky magnetic-field strengths in the Orion-Taurus ridge larger than a few tens of $\mu$G ($> 30 - 40 \,\mu$G). We report the first detection of diffuse synchrotron emission from cold-neutral, partly molecular, gas in the surroundings of the Orion-Eridanus superbubble. This observation opens a new perspective to study the multiphase and magnetized interstellar medium with the advent of future high-sensitivity radio facilities, such as the C-Band All-Sky Survey and the Square Kilometre Array.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Manganiakasakaite-(La) and Ferriakasakaite-(Ce), Two New Epidote Supergroup Minerals from Piedmont, Italy

Two new monoclinic (P21/m) epidote supergroup minerals manganiakasakaite-(La) and ferriakasakaite-(Ce) were found in the small Mn ore deposit of Monte Maniglia, Bellino, Varaita Valley, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy. Manganiakasakaite-(La) occurs as subhedral grains embedded in pyroxmangite. Its empirical formula is A(1)(Ca0.62Mn2+0.38) A(2)(La0.52Nd0.08Pr0.07Ce0.07Y0.01Ca0.25) M(1)(Mn3+0.52Fe3+0.28Al0.18V3+0.01) M(2)Al1.00 M(3)(Mn2+0.60Mn3+0.27Mg0.13) T(1&minus;3)(Si2.99Al0.01) O12 (OH), corresponding to the end-member formula CaLaMn3+AlMn2+(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH). Unit-cell parameters are a = 8.9057(10), b = 5.7294(6), c = 10.1134(11) &Aring;, &beta; = 113.713(5)&deg;, V = 472.46(9) &Aring;3, Z = 2. The crystal structure of manganiakasakaite-(La) was refined to a final R1 = 0.0262 for 2119 reflections with Fo &gt; 4&sigma;(Fo) and 125 refined parameters. Ferriakasakaite-(Ce) occurs as small homogeneous domains within strongly inhomogeneous prismatic crystals, where other epidote supergroup minerals coexist [manganiandrosite-(Ce), &ldquo;androsite-(Ce)&rdquo;, and epidote]. Associated minerals are calcite and hematite. Its empirical formula is A(1)(Ca0.64Mn2+0.36) A(2)(Ce0.37La0.17Nd0.06Pr0.03Ca0.35□0.02) M(1)(Fe3+0.61Al0.39) M(2)Al1.00 M(3)(Mn2+0.64Mn3+0.33Fe3+0.02Mg0.01) T(1&minus;3)Si3.01 O12 (OH), the end-member formula being CaCeFe3+AlMn2+(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH). Unit-cell parameters are a = 8.9033(3), b = 5.7066(2), c = 10.1363(3) &Aring;, &beta; = 114.222(2)&deg;, V = 469.66(3) &Aring;3, Z = 2. The crystal structure of ferriakasakaite-(Ce) was refined to a final R1 = 0.0196 for 1960 unique reflections with Fo &gt; 4&sigma;(Fo) and 124 refined parameters