Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fermi Bubble: Giant Gamma-Ray Bubbles in the Milky Way

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Cosmic Rays in Star-Forming Environments

Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings ((ASSSP,volume 34))

  • 969 Accesses

Abstract

Data from the Fermi-LAT reveal two gigantic gamma-ray emitting bubble structures (known as the Fermibubbles), extending∼​​​​ 50∘ above and below the Galactic center symmetric about the Galactic plane, with a width of∼​​ 40∘ in longitude. The gamma-ray emission associated with these bubbles has a significantly harder spectrum \((\mathit{dN}/\mathit{dE} \sim {E}^{-2})\) than the inverse Compton emission from known cosmic ray electrons in the Galactic disk, or the gamma-rays produced by decay of pions from proton-ISM collisions. The bubbles are spatially correlated with the hard-spectrum microwave excess known as the WMAPhaze; the edges of the bubbles also line up with features in the ROSATsoft X-ray maps at 1.5–2keV. The Fermibubble is most likely created by some large episode of energy injection in the Galactic center, such as past accretion events onto the central massive black hole, or a nuclear starburst in the last∼10Myr. Study of the origin and evolution of the bubbles also has the potential to improve our understanding of recent energetic events in the inner Galaxy and the high-latitude cosmic ray population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. 1.

    See also http://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/ssc/data/

  2. 2.

    http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/

  3. 3.

    See http://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/ssc/data/access/lat/BackgroundModels.html

  4. 4.

    http://hea-www.harvard.edu/rosat/rsdc.html

  5. 5.

    http://www.mpe.mpg.de/heg/www/Projects/EROSITA/main.html

  6. 6.

    http://www.rssd.esa.int/index.php?project=Planck

References

  1. Abdo, A. A., et al. 2010. The Spectrum of the Isotropic Diffuse Gamma-Ray Emission Derived From First-Year Fermi Large Area Telescope Data. Phys. Rev. Lett., 104:101101.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Alvarez-Muñiz, J., R. Engel, & T. Stanev 2002. Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic-Ray Propagation in the Galaxy: Clustering versus Isotropy. ApJ, 572:185–201.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Atwood, W. B., A. A. Abdo, M. Ackermann, W. Althouse, B. Anderson, M. Axelsson, L. Baldini, J. Ballet, D. L. Band, G. Barbiellini, J. Bartelt, D. Bastieri, B. M. Baughman, K. Bechtol, D. Bédérède, F. Bellardi, R. Bellazzini, B. Berenji, G. F. Bignami, D. Bisello, E. Bissaldi, R. D. Blandford, E. D. Bloom, J. R. Bogart, E. Bonamente, J. Bonnell, A. W. Borgland, A. Bouvier, J. Bregeon, A. Brez, M. Brigida, P. Bruel, T. H. Burnett, G. Busetto, G. A. Caliandro, R. A. Cameron, P. A. Caraveo, S. Carius, P. Carlson, J. M. Casandjian, E. Cavazzuti, M. Ceccanti, C. Cecchi, E. Charles, A. Chekhtman, C. C. Cheung, J. Chiang, R. Chipaux, A. N. Cillis, S. Ciprini, R. Claus, J. Cohen-Tanugi, S. Condamoor, J. Conrad, R. Corbet, L. Corucci, L. Costamante, S. Cutini, D. S. Davis, D. Decotigny, M. DeKlotz, C. D. Dermer, A. de Angelis, S. W. Digel, E. do Couto e Silva, P. S. Drell, R. Dubois, D. Dumora, Y. Edmonds, D. Fabiani, C. Farnier, C. Favuzzi, D. L. Flath, P. Fleury, W. B. Focke, S. Funk, P. Fusco, F. Gargano, D. Gasparrini, N. Gehrels, F.-X. Gentit, S. Germani, B. Giebels, N. Giglietto, P. Giommi, F. Giordano, T. Glanzman, G. Godfrey, I. A. Grenier, M.-H. Grondin, J. E. Grove, L. Guillemot, S. Guiriec, G. Haller, A. K. Harding, P. A. Hart, E. Hays, S. E. Healey, M. Hirayama, L. Hjalmarsdotter, R. Horn, R. E. Hughes, G. Jóhannesson, G. Johansson, A. S. Johnson, R. P. Johnson, T. J. Johnson, W. N. Johnson, T. Kamae, H. Katagiri, J. Kataoka, A. Kavelaars, N. Kawai, H. Kelly, M. Kerr, W. Klamra, J. Knödlseder, M. L. Kocian, N. Komin, F. Kuehn, M. Kuss, D. Landriu, L. Latronico, B. Lee, S.-H. Lee, M. Lemoine-Goumard, A. M. Lionetto, F. Longo, F. Loparco, B. Lott, M. N. Lovellette, P. Lubrano, G. M. Madejski, A. Makeev, B. Marangelli, M. M. Massai, M. N. Mazziotta, J. E. McEnery, N. Menon, C. Meurer, P. F. Michelson, M. Minuti, N. Mirizzi, W. Mitthumsiri, T. Mizuno, A. A. Moiseev, C. Monte, M. E. Monzani, E. Moretti, A. Morselli, I. V. Moskalenko, S. Murgia, T. Nakamori, S. Nishino, P. L. Nolan, J. P. Norris, E. Nuss, M. Ohno, T. Ohsugi, N. Omodei, E. Orlando, J. F. Ormes, A. Paccagnella, D. Paneque, J. H. Panetta, D. Parent, M. Pearce, M. Pepe, A. Perazzo, M. Pesce-Rollins, P. Picozza, L. Pieri, M. Pinchera, F. Piron, T. A. Porter, L. Poupard, S. Rainò, R. Rando, E. Rapposelli, M. Razzano, A. Reimer, O. Reimer, T. Reposeur, L. C. Reyes, S. Ritz, L. S. Rochester, A. Y. Rodriguez, R. W. Romani, M. Roth, J. J. Russell, F. Ryde, S. Sabatini, H. F.-W. Sadrozinski, D. Sanchez, A. Sander, L. Sapozhnikov, P. M. S. Parkinson, J. D. Scargle, T. L. Schalk, G. Scolieri, C. Sgrò, G. H. Share, M. Shaw, T. Shimokawabe, C. Shrader, A. Sierpowska-Bartosik, E. J. Siskind, D. A. Smith, P. D. Smith, G. Spandre, P. Spinelli, J.-L. Starck, T. E. Stephens, M. S. Strickman, A. W. Strong, D. J. Suson, H. Tajima, H. Takahashi, T. Takahashi, T. Tanaka, A. Tenze, S. Tether, J. B. Thayer, J. G. Thayer, D. J. Thompson, L. Tibaldo, O. Tibolla, D. F. Torres, G. Tosti, A. Tramacere, M. Turri, T. L. Usher, N. Vilchez, V. Vitale, P. Wang, K. Watters, B. L. Winer, K. S. Wood, T. Ylinen, & M. Ziegler 2009. The Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope Mission. ApJ, 697:1071–1102.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bhat, C. L., M. R. Issa, C. J. Mayer, & A. W. Wolfendale 1985. Acceleration of cosmic rays in the Loop I ’supernova remnant’? Nature, 314:515–517.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Biermann, P. L., J. K. Becker, G. Caceres, A. Meli, E.-S. Seo, & T. Stanev 2010. The WMAP Haze from the Galactic Center Region Due to Massive Star Explosions and a Reduced Cosmic Ray Scale Height. ApJ, 710:L53–L57.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bloemen, H. 1989. Diffuse Galactic gamma-ray emission. ARA&A, 27:469–516.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Blumenthal, G. R., & R. J. Gould 1970. Bremsstrahlung, Synchrotron Radiation, and Compton Scattering of High-Energy Electrons Traversing Dilute Gases. Reviews of Modern Physics, 42:237–271.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Casandjian, J.-M., I. Grenier, & for the Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration 2009. High Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from the Loop I region. ArXiv e-prints.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Cholis, I., G. Dobler, D. P. Finkbeiner, L. Goodenough, T. R. Slatyer, & N. Weiner 2009. The Fermi gamma-ray spectrum of the inner galaxy: Implications for annihilating dark matter. ArXiv e-prints.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Dame, T. M., D. Hartmann, & P. Thaddeus 2001. The Milky Way in Molecular Clouds: A New Complete CO Survey. ApJ, 547:792–813.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dixon, D. D., D. H. Hartmann, E. D. Kolaczyk, J. Samimi, R. Diehl, G. Kanbach, H. Mayer-Hasselwander, & A. W. Strong 1998. Evidence for a Galactic gamma-ray halo. New Astronomy, 3:539–561.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Dobler, G., & D. P. Finkbeiner 2008. Extended Anomalous Foreground Emission in the WMAP Three-Year Data. ApJ, 680:1222–1234.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Dobler, G., D. P. Finkbeiner, I. Cholis, T. Slatyer, & N. Weiner 2010. The Fermi Haze: A Gamma-ray Counterpart to the Microwave Haze. ApJ, 717:825–842.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Fichtel, C. E., R. C. Hartman, D. A. Kniffen, D. J. Thompson, H. Ogelman, M. E. Ozel, T. Tumer, & G. F. Bignami 1975. High-energy gamma-ray results from the second small astronomy satellite. ApJ, 198:163–182.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Finkbeiner, Douglas P. 2004a. Microwave ISM Emission Observed by WMAP. Astrophys. J., 614:186–193.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Finkbeiner, Douglas P. 2004b. WMAP microwave emission interpreted as dark matter annihilation in the inner Galaxy.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Gehrels, N., & P. Michelson 1999. GLAST: The next-generation high energy gamma-ray astronomy mission. Astropart. Phys., 11:277–282.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Grenier, I. A., J.-M. Casandjian, & R. Terrier 2005. Unveiling Extensive Clouds of Dark Gas in the Solar Neighborhood. Science, 307:1292–1295.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Haslam, C. G. T., C. J. Salter, H. Stoffel, & W. E. Wilson 1982. A 408 MHz all-sky continuum survey. II - The atlas of contour maps. A&AS, 47:1– + .

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hooper, Dan, Douglas P. Finkbeiner, & Gregory Dobler 2007. Evidence Of Dark Matter Annihilations In The WMAP Haze. Phys. Rev., D76:083012.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Jones, F. C., & D. C. Ellison 1991. The plasma physics of shock acceleration. Space Science Reviews, 58:259–346.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Kalberla, P. M. W., W. B. Burton, D. Hartmann, E. M. Arnal, E. Bajaja, R. Morras, & W. G. L. Pöppel 2005. The Leiden/Argentine/Bonn (LAB) Survey of Galactic HI. Final data release of the combined LDS and IAR surveys with improved stray-radiation corrections. A&A, 440:775–782.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Kaplinghat, Manoj, Daniel J. Phalen, & Kathryn M. Zurek 2009. Pulsars as the Source of the WMAP Haze. JCAP, 0912:010.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Koyama, K., Y. Maeda, T. Sonobe, T. Takeshima, Y. Tanaka, & S. Yamauchi 1996. ASCA View of Our Galactic Center: Remains of Past Activities in X-Rays? PASJ, 48:249–255.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Large, M. I., M. J. S. Quigley, & C. G. T. Haslam 1962. A new feature of the radio sky. MNRAS, 124:405– + .

    Google Scholar 

  26. McNamara, B. R., & P. E. J. Nulsen 2007. Heating Hot Atmospheres with Active Galactic Nuclei. ARA&A, 45:117–175.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Page, L., et al. 2007. Three year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) observations: Polarization analysis. Astrophys. J. Suppl., 170:335.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Paumard, T., R. Genzel, F. Martins, S. Nayakshin, A. M. Beloborodov, Y. Levin, S. Trippe, F. Eisenhauer, T. Ott, S. Gillessen, R. Abuter, J. Cuadra, T. Alexander, & A. Sternberg 2006. The Two Young Star Disks in the Central Parsec of the Galaxy: Properties, Dynamics, and Formation. ApJ, 643:1011–1035.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. Schlegel, David J., Douglas P. Finkbeiner, & Marc Davis 1998. Maps of Dust IR Emission for Use in Estimation of Reddening and CMBR Foregrounds. Astrophys. J., 500:525.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. Smialkowski, A., A. W. Wolfendale, & L. Zhang 1997. The ‘extragalactic’ diffuse gamma ray intensity. Astroparticle Physics, 7:21–25.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. Snowden, S. L. 2009. What Can Be Learned from X-ray Spectroscopy Concerning Hot Gas in the Local Bubble and Charge Exchange Processes? Space Sci. Rev., 143:253–262.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Strong, A. W. 1984. COS-B studies of high-latitude gamma rays. Advances in Space Research, 3:87–89.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. Strong, A. W., H. A. Mayer-Hasselwander, J. B. G. M. Bloemen, W. Hermsen, & F. Lebrun 1987. The final COS-B database - In-flight calibration of sensitivity and instrumental background behaviour. A&AS, 67:283–296.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. Strong, A. W., & I. V. Moskalenko 1999. The GALPROP program for cosmic-ray propagation: new developments. 4:255–258.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Strong, A. W., I. V. Moskalenko, T. A. Porter, G. Jóhannesson, E. Orlando, & S. W. Digel 2009. The GALPROP Cosmic-Ray Propagation Code. ArXiv e-prints.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Strong, A. W., I. V. Moskalenko, & V. S. Ptuskin 2007. Cosmic-Ray Propagation and Interactions in the Galaxy. Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science, 57:285–327.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  37. Su, M., T. R. Slatyer, & D. P. Finkbeiner 2010. Giant Gamma-ray Bubbles from Fermi-LAT: Active Galactic Nucleus Activity or Bipolar Galactic Wind? ApJ, 724:1044–1082.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. Sun, X. H., W. Reich, A. Waelkens, & T. A. Enßlin 2008. Radio observational constraints on Galactic 3D-emission models. A&A, 477:573–592.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. Sunyaev, R. A., M. Markevitch, & M. Pavlinsky 1993. The center of the Galaxy in the recent past - A view from GRANAT. ApJ, 407:606–610.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges Douglas Finkbeiner and Tracy Slatyer for their wonderful collaborations on the discovery paper of the Fermi bubbles. Most of the materials in this chapter is based on this paper. The author also acknowledges stimulating conversations with Roland Crocker, Greg Dobler, Martin Elvis, Jonathan Grindlay, Fulai Guo, Christine Jones, Avi Loeb, Sera Markoff, Igor Moskalenko, Ramesh Narayan, Aneta Siemiginowska, Andrew Strong, and Feng Yuan. The author would also like to warmly thank Olaf Reimer and Diego Torres for organizing the 2nd Sant Cugat Forum on Astrophysics, “2012: Cosmic-ray phenomenology in star-forming environments”, and their great effort to make the publication of this conference book possible.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Theory and Computation, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street,MS-10, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    Meng Su

Authors
  1. Meng Su
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Meng Su .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , (IEEC-CSIC) Campus UAB, Fac. de Ciències, ICREA & Institute of Space Sciences, Torre C5, parell, 2a planta, Barcelona, 08193, Spain

    Diego F. Torres

  2. , Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, Institut für Astro- und Teilchenphysik, Technikerstraße 25/8, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria

    Olaf Reimer

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Su, M. (2013). Fermi Bubble: Giant Gamma-Ray Bubbles in the Milky Way. In: Torres, D., Reimer, O. (eds) Cosmic Rays in Star-Forming Environments. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, vol 34. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35410-6_27

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35410-6_27

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-35409-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35410-6

  • eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation