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What are the Radio Filaments Near the Galactic Center?

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Unsolved Problems of the Milky Way

Part of the book series: International Astronomical Union / Union Astronomique Internationale ((IAUS,volume 169))

Abstract

A population of nonthermally-emitting radio filaments tens of parsecs in length has been observed within a projected distance of -130 pc of the Galactic center. More or less perpendicular to the Galactic plane, they appear to define the flux lines of a milligauss magnetic field. The characteristics of the known filaments are summarized. Three fundamental questions raised by these structures are discussed: 1) Do they represent magnetic flux tubes embedded within an ubiquitous, dipole magnetic field permeating the inner Galaxy, but which have been illuminated by some local source of relativistic particles, or are they instead isolated, self-sustaining current paths with an approximately force-free magnetic configuration in pressure equilibrium with the interstellar medium? 2) What is the source of either the magnetic field or the current? and 3) What is the source of the relativistic particles which provide the illuminating synchrotron radiation? We are nearer an answer to the the last of these questions than to the others, although several interesting models have been proposed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA

    Mark Morris

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  1. Mark Morris
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

    Leo Blitz  & Peter Teuben  & 

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© 1996 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Morris, M. (1996). What are the Radio Filaments Near the Galactic Center?. In: Blitz, L., Teuben, P. (eds) Unsolved Problems of the Milky Way. International Astronomical Union / Union Astronomique Internationale, vol 169. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1687-6_31

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1687-6_31

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-4040-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-1687-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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