Coughlin, E.R. orcid.org/0000-0003-3765-6401, Nixon, C.J. orcid.org/0000-0002-2137-4146 and Ginsburg, A. (Cover date: February 2021) Non-thermal filaments from the tidal destruction of clouds in the Galactic centre. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 501 (2). pp. 1868-1877. ISSN 0035-8711
Abstract
Synchrotron-emitting, non-thermal filaments (NTFs) have been observed near the Galactic centre for nearly four decades, yet their physical origin remains unclear. Here we investigate the possibility that NTFs are produced by the destruction of molecular clouds by the gravitational potential of the Galactic centre. We show that this model predicts the formation of a filamentary structure with length on the order of tens to hundreds of pc, a highly ordered magnetic field along the axis of the filament, and conditions conducive to magnetic reconnection that result in particle acceleration. This model therefore yields the observed magnetic properties of NTFs and a population of relativistic electrons, without the need to appeal to a dipolar, ∼mG, Galactic magnetic field. As the clouds can be both completely or partially disrupted, this model provides a means of establishing the connection between filamentary structures and molecular clouds that is observed in some, but not all, cases.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2020 The Author(s). Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | black hole physics; hydrodynamics; magnetic fields; Galaxy: centre; Galaxy: kinematics and dynamics |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Physics and Astronomy (Leeds) > Astrophysics (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 02 Nov 2023 10:52 |
Last Modified: | 02 Nov 2023 10:52 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Oxford University Press (OUP) |
Identification Number: | 10.1093/mnras/staa3771 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:204841 |