Tracing the Milky Way’s Vestigial Nuclear Jet
Sep 2, 202130 pages
Published in:
- Astrophys.J. 922 (2021) 2, 254
- Published: Dec 6, 2021
e-Print:
- 2109.00901 [astro-ph.HE]
View in:
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Abstract: (IOP)
MeerKAT radio continuum and XMM-Newton X-ray images have recently revealed a spectacular bipolar channel at the Galactic Center that spans several degrees (∼0.5 kpc). An intermittent jet likely formed this channel and is consistent with earlier evidence of a sustained, Seyfert-level outburst fueled by black hole accretion onto Sgr A* several Myr ago. Therefore, to trace a now weak jet that perhaps penetrated, deflected, and percolated along multiple paths through the interstellar medium, relevant interactions are identified and quantified in archival X-ray images, Hubble Space Telescope Paschen α images and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array millimeter-wave spectra, and new SOAR telescope IR spectra. Hydrodynamical simulations are used to show how a nuclear jet can explain these structures and inflate the ROSAT/eROSITA X-ray and Fermi γ-ray bubbles that extend ± 75° from the Galactic plane. Thus, our Galactic outflow has features in common with energetic, jet-driven structures in the prototypical Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068.Note:
- 30 pages, 32 figures in main text, 17 interactive figure and control Javascript in /anc subdirectory. Please retrieve paper with full resolution figures and interactive figure at http://physics.unc.edu/~cecil/MWjet; paper text and figures revised to agree with published version in the ApJ except somehow they managed to completely botch Fig 1 so the correct version is in this archive
References(96)
Figures(43)