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

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 (GC) region by Nord and coworkers have revealed 20 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° 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 nonpoloidal magnetic fields at the GC. Together the 90 and 6 cm observations indicate that the GC magnetic field may be more complex than a simple globally ordered dipolar field

The Strength and Structure of the Galactic Center Magnetic Field

This paper summarizes recently obtained, strong evidence for a weak global field in the Galactic center (GC): the existence of a large-scale region of diffuse, low-frequency, nonthermal emission coincident with the central molecular zone. The overall energetics of this emission, considered along with constraints on GC cosmic ray energy density and diffusion, indicate clearly that the magnetic field pervading this region is ∼ 10 μG. For completeness, additional points on the orientation of the GC nonthermal filaments, rotation measures of extragalactic sources seen through the GC, and comparison with other normal spiral galaxies are also reviewed

The Galactic Center Nonthermal Filaments: Recent Observations and Theory

The large-scale topology and strength of the Galactic Center magnetic field have been inferred from radio imaging of the nonthermal filaments (NTFs). These objects, which seem to be unique to the Galactic center, are defined by extreme aspect ratios and a high degree of polarization. Recent high resolution, wide-field VLA imaging of the GC at 90 cm has revealed new candidate NTFs with a wide range of orientations relative to the Galactic plane. We present follow up 6 cm polarization observations of 6 of these candidates and confirm 4 as new NTFs. Together the new 90 and 6 cm results complicate the previous picture of largely perpendicular filaments that trace a globally ordered magnetic field. NTF observations in general do not rule out any particular models for the origin of the NTFs. Hence we explore the idea that the NTFs are local, individual structures: magnetic wakes generated through the interaction of molecular clouds with a Galactic Center wind. Numerical simulations of the evolution of a magnetized wake will be discussed and compared with NTF observations

The H I Environment Of The M101 Group

We present a wide (8. Degree-Sign 5 Multiplication-Sign 6. Degree-Sign 7, 1050 Multiplication-Sign 825 kpc), deep ({sigma}{sub N{sub H{sub {sub {sub i}}}}}10{sup 16.8}-10{sup 17.5} cm{sup -2}) neutral hydrogen (H I) map of the M101 galaxy group. We identify two new H I sources in the group environment, one an extremely low surface brightness (and hitherto unknown) dwarf galaxy, and the other a starless H I cloud, possibly primordial in origin. Our data show that M101\u27s extended H I envelope takes the form of a {approx}100 kpc long tidal loop or plume of H I extending to the southwest of the galaxy. The plume has an H I mass of {approx}10{sup 8} M{sub Sun} and a peak column density of N{sub H{sub i}}= 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 17} cm{sup -2}, and while it rotates with the main body of M101, it shows kinematic peculiarities suggestive of a warp or flaring out of the rotation plane of the galaxy. We also find two new H I clouds near the plume with masses {approx}10{sup 7} M{sub Sun }, similar to H I clouds seen in the M81/M82 group, and likely also tidal in nature. Comparing to deep optical imaging of the M101 group, neithermore » the plume nor the clouds have any extended optical counterparts down to a limiting surface brightness of {mu}{sub B} = 29.5. We also trace H I at intermediate velocities between M101 and NGC 5474, strengthening the case for a recent interaction between the two galaxies. The kinematically complex H I structure in the M101 group, coupled with the optical morphology of M101 and its companions, suggests that the group is in a dynamically active state that is likely common for galaxies in group environments.« les