626 research outputs found
The Galactic Center Isolated Nonthermal Filaments as Analogs of Cometary Plasma Tails
We propose a model for the origin of the isolated nonthermal filaments
observed at the Galactic center based on an analogy to cometary plasma tails.
We invoke the interaction between a large scale magnetized galactic wind and
embedded molecular clouds. As the advected wind magnetic field encounters a
dense molecular cloud, it is impeded and drapes around the cloud, ultimately
forming a current sheet in the wake. This draped field is further stretched by
the wind flow into a long, thin filament whose aspect ratio is determined by
the balance between the dynamical wind and amplified magnetic field pressures.
The key feature of this cometary model is that the filaments are dynamic
configurations, and not static structures. As such, they are local
amplifications of an otherwise weak field and not directly connected to any
static global field. The derived field strengths for the wind and wake are
consistent with observational estimates. Finally, the observed synchrotron
emission is naturally explained by the acceleration of electrons to high energy
by plasma and MHD turbulence generated in the cloud wake.Comment: Uses AAS aasms4.sty macros. ApJ (in press, vol. 521, 20 Aug
On The Origin Of The Gamma Rays From The Galactic Center
The region surrounding the center of the Milky Way is both astrophysically
rich and complex, and is predicted to contain very high densities of dark
matter. Utilizing three years of data from the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope
(and the recently available Pass 7 ultraclean event class), we study the
morphology and spectrum of the gamma ray emission from this region and find
evidence of a spatially extended component which peaks at energies between 300
MeV and 10 GeV. We compare our results to those reported by other groups and
find good agreement. The extended emission could potentially originate from
either the annihilations of dark matter particles in the inner galaxy, or from
the collisions of high energy protons that are accelerated by the Milky Way's
supermassive black hole with gas. If interpreted as dark matter annihilation
products, the emission spectrum favors dark matter particles with a mass in the
range of 7-12 GeV (if annihilating dominantly to leptons) or 25-45 GeV (if
annihilating dominantly to hadronic final states). The intensity of the
emission corresponds to a dark matter annihilation cross section consistent
with that required to generate the observed cosmological abundance in the early
universe (sigma v ~ 3 x 10^-26 cm^3/s). We also present conservative limits on
the dark matter annihilation cross section which are at least as stringent as
those derived from other observations.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figure
A Dynamical Study of the Non-Star Forming Translucent Molecular Cloud MBM16: Evidence for Shear Driven Turbulence in the Interstellar Medium
We present the results of a velocity correlation study of the high latitude
cloud MBM16 using a fully sampled CO map, supplemented by new CO
data. We find a correlation length of 0.4 pc. This is similar in size to the
formaldehyde clumps described in our previous study. We associate this
correlated motion with coherent structures within the turbulent flow. Such
structures are generated by free shear flows. Their presence in this non-star
forming cloud indicates that kinetic energy is being supplied to the internal
turbulence by an external shear flow. Such large scale driving over long times
is a possible solution to the dissipation problem for molecular cloud
turbulence.Comment: Uses AAS aasms4.sty macros. Accepted for publication in Ap
A New System of Parallel Isolated Nonthermal Filaments Near the Galactic Center: Evidence for a Local Magnetic Field Gradient
We report the discovery of a system of isolated nonthermal filaments
approximately 0.5 deg. northwest (75 pc in projection) of Sgr A. Unlike other
isolated nonthermal filaments which show subfilamentation, braiding of
subfilaments, and flaring at their ends, these filaments are simple linear
structures and more closely resemble the parallel bundled filaments in the
Galactic center radio arc. However, the most unusual feature of these filaments
is that the 20/90 cm spectral index uniformly decreases as a function of
length, in contrast to all other nonthermal filaments in the Galactic center.
This spectral gradient may not be due to simple particle aging but could be
explained by a curved electron energy spectrum embedded in a diverging magnetic
field. If so, the scale of the magnetic gradient is not consistent with a large
scale magnetic field centered on Sgr A* suggesting that this filament system is
tracing a local magnetic field.Comment: 10 pages, AASTeX 5.01 LaTeX2e; 7 figures in 9 PostScript files;
scheduled for publication in the 2001 December 10, v. 563 issue of Ap
Evidence for a Weak Galactic Center Magnetic Field from Diffuse Low Frequency Nonthermal Radio Emission
New low-frequency 74 and 330 MHz observations of the Galactic center (GC)
region reveal the presence of a large-scale (6\arcdeg\times 2\arcdeg) diffuse
source of nonthermal synchrotron emission. A minimum energy analysis of this
emission yields a total energy of ergs
and a magnetic field strength of \muG (where is
the proton to electron energy ratio and is the filling factor of the
synchrotron emitting gas). The equipartition particle energy density is
\evcm, a value consistent with cosmic-ray data. However,
the derived magnetic field is several orders of magnitude below the 1 mG field
commonly invoked for the GC. With this field the source can be maintained with
the SN rate inferred from the GC star formation. Furthermore, a strong magnetic
field implies an abnormally low GC cosmic-ray energy density. We conclude that
the mean magnetic field in the GC region must be weak, of order 10 \muG (at
least on size scales \ga 125\arcsec).Comment: 12 pages, 1 JPEG figure, uses aastex.sty; Accepted for publication,
ApJL (2005, published
The magnetic environment in the central region of nearby galaxies
The central regions of galaxies harbor some of the most extreme physical
phenomena, including dense stellar clusters, non-circular motions of molecular
clouds and strong and pervasive magnetic field structures. In particular, radio
observations have shown that the central few hundred parsecs of our Galaxy has
a striking magnetic field configuration. It is not yet clear whether these
magnetic structures are unique to our Milky Way or a common feature of all
similar galaxies. Therefore, we report on (a) a new radio polarimetric survey
of the central 200 pc of the Galaxy to better characterize the magnetic field
structure and (b) a search for large-scale and organized magnetized structure
in the nuclear regions of nearby galaxies using data from the Very Large Array
(VLA) archive. The high angular resolution of the VLA allows us to study the
central 1 kpc of the nearest galaxies to search for magnetized nuclear features
similar to what is detected in our own Galactic center. Such magnetic features
play a important role in the nuclear regions of galaxies in terms of gas
transport and the physical conditions of the interstellar medium in this
unusual region of galaxies.Comment: 8 pages; Proceedings for "The Universe under the Microscope" (AHAR
2008), held in Bad Honnef (Germany) in April 2008, to be published in Journal
of Physics: Conference Series by Institute of Physics Publishing, R.
Schoedel, A. Eckart, S. Pfalzner, and E. Ros (eds.
Frame-dragging effects on magnetic fields near a rotating black hole
We discuss the role of general relativity frame dragging acting on magnetic
field lines near a rotating (Kerr) black hole. Near ergosphere the magnetic
structure becomes strongly influenced and magnetic null points can develop. We
consider aligned magnetic fields as well as fields inclined with respect to the
rotation axis, and the two cases are shown to behave in profoundly different
ways. Further, we construct surfaces of equal values of local electric and
magnetic intensities, which have not yet been discussed in the full generality
of a boosted rotating black hole.Comment: to appear in the proceedings of "The Central Kiloparsec in Galactic
Nuclei (AHAR 2011)", Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS), IOP
Publishin
Yukawa Coupling Structure in Intersecting D-brane Models
The structure of Yukawa coupling matrices is investigated in type IIA
T^6/(Z_2 x Z_2) orientifold models with intersecting D-branes. Yukawa coupling
matrices are difficult to be realistic in the conventional models in which the
generation structure emerges by the multiple intersection of D-branes in the
factorized T^6 = T^2 x T^2 x T^2. We study the new type of flavor structure,
where Yukawa couplings are dynamically generated, and show this type of models
lead to nontrivial structures of Yukawa coupling matrices, which can be
realistic.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure
New Nonthermal Filaments at the Galactic Center: Are They Tracing a Globally Ordered Magnetic Field?
New high-resolution, wide-field 90 cm VLA observations of the Galactic Center
region by Nord et al. have revealed twenty nonthermal filament (NTF)
candidates. We report 6 cm polarization observations of six of these. All of
the candidates have the expected NTF morphology, and two show extended
polarization confirming their identification as NTFs. One of the new NTFs
appears to be part of a system of NTFs located in the Sgr B region, 64 pc in
projection north of Sgr A. These filaments cross the Galactic plane with an
orientation similar to the filaments in the Galactic Center Radio Arc. They
extend the scale over which the NTF phenomena is known to occur to almost 300
pc along the Galactic plane. Another NTF was found in the Galactic plane south
of the Sgr C filament but with an orientation of 45 degrees to the Galactic
plane. This is only the second of 12 confirmed NTFs that is not oriented
perpendicular to the Galactic plane. An additional candidate in the Sgr C
region was resolved into multiple filamentary structures. Polarization was
detected only at the brightness peak of one of the filaments. Several of these
filaments run parallel to the Galactic plane and can be considered additional
evidence for non-poloidal magnetic fields at the GC. Together the 90 and 6 cm
observations indicate that the Galactic center magnetic field may be more
complex than a simple globally ordered dipole field.Comment: Astrophysical Journal, Accepte
High-Resolution, Wide-Field Imaging of the Galactic Center Region at 330 MHz
We present a wide field, sub-arcminute resolution VLA image of the Galactic
Center region at 330 MHz. With a resolution of ~ 7" X 12" and an RMS noise of
1.6 mJy/beam, this image represents a significant increase in resolution and
sensitivity over the previously published VLA image at this frequency. The
improved sensitivity has more than tripled the census of small diameter sources
in the region, has resulted in the detection of two new Non Thermal Filaments
(NTFs), 18 NTF candidates, 30 pulsar candidates, reveals previously known
extended sources in greater detail, and has resulted in the first detection of
Sagittarius A* in this frequency range.
A version of this paper containing full resolution images may be found at
http://lwa.nrl.navy.mil/nord/AAAB.pdf.Comment: Astronomical Journal, Accepted 62 Pages, 21 Figure
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