On the nature of radio filaments near the Galactic Center

Abstract

We suggest that narrow, long radio filaments near the Galactic Center arise as kinetic jets - streams of high energy particles escaping from ram-pressure confined pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). The reconnection between the PWN and interstellar magnetic field allows pulsar wind particles to escape, creating long narrow features. They are the low frequency analogs of kinetic jets seen around some fast-moving pulsars, such as The Guitar and The Lighthouse PWNe. The radio filaments trace a population of pulsars also responsible for the Fermi GeV excess produced by the Inverse Compton scattering by the pulsar wind particles. The magnetic flux tubes are stretched radially by the large scale Galactic winds. In addition to PWNe accelerated particles can be injected at supernovae remnants. The model predicts variations of the structure of the largest filaments on scales of $\sim$ dozens of years - smaller variations can occur on shorter time scales. We also encourage targeted observations of the brightest sections of the filaments and of the related unresolved point sources in search of the powering PWNe and pulsars.

5 pages, 2 figures

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• A Supernova-driven, Magnetically-collimated Outflow as the Origin of the Galactic Center Radio Bubbles
• Chandra large-scale mapping of the Galactic center: Probing high-energy structures around the central molecular zone
• Galactic Centre Threads as Nuclear MHD Waves
• Effects of Magnetic Fields on Gas Dynamics and Star Formation in Nuclear Rings
• A NuSTAR and Chandra Investigation of the Misaligned Outflow of PSR J1101-6101 and the Lighthouse Pulsar Wind Nebula
• Pulsar-wind-nebula-powered Galactic center X-ray filament G0.13-0.11: Proof of the synchrotron nature by IXPE
• The SARAO MeerKAT Galactic Plane Survey extended source catalogue
• Supernova-remnant origin of the Galactic-Centre filaments
• Fast moving pulsars as probes of interstellar medium
• Signatures of extended radio emission from escaping electrons in the Lighthouse Nebula
• The SARAO MeerKAT Galactic Plane Survey filamentary source catalogue
• The pulsar wind nebula around B1853+01 in X-rays