Nonthermal filaments from the tidal destruction of clouds in the Galactic center

Abstract

Synchrotron-emitting, nonthermal filaments (NTFs) have been observed near the Galactic center 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 center. 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, $\sim$ 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.

Figure added, includes referee suggestions

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• Statistical Properties of the Population of the Galactic Center Filaments: The Spectral Index and Equipartition Magnetic Field
• A Supernova-driven, Magnetically-collimated Outflow as the Origin of the Galactic Center Radio Bubbles
• Populations of Magnetized Filaments in the Intracluster Medium and the Galactic Center
• Statistical Properties of the Population of the Galactic Center Filaments II: The Spacing Between Filaments
• The SARAO MeerKAT Galactic Plane Survey filamentary source catalogue