Pulsar-wind-nebula-powered Galactic center X-ray filament G0.13-0.11: Proof of the synchrotron nature by IXPE

Abstract

We report the discovery of X-ray polarization from the X-ray-bright filament. G0.13-0.11 in the Galactic center (GC) region. This filament features a bright, hard X-ray source that is most plausibly a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) and an extended and structured diffuse component. Combining the polarization signal from IXPE with the imaging/spectroscopic data from Chandra, we find that X-ray emission of G0.13-0.11 is highly polarized PD=$57(\pm 18)$% in the 3-6 keV band, while the polarization angle is PA=$21^{\circ }(\pm 9^{\circ })$. This high degree of polarization proves the synchrotron origin of the X-ray emission from G0.13-0.11. In turn, the measured polarization angle implies that the X-ray emission is polarized approximately perpendicular to a sequence of nonthermal radio filaments that may be part of the GC Radio Arc. The magnetic field on the order of $100\mu \mathrm{G}$ appears to be preferentially ordered along the filaments. The above field strength is the fiducial value that makes our model self-consistent, while the other conclusions are largely model independent.

Accepted for publication in A&A

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• Heavy interstellar scattering toward the near end of the Galactic bar
• High Energy Emission from the Galactic Center