New research by University of Massachusetts Amherst astronomer Daniel Wang reveals details of violent phenomena at the center of our Milky Way galaxy with unprecedented clarity.
The images reveal an X-ray thread, G0.17-0.41, hinting at a previously unknown interstellar mechanism.
“The galaxy is like an ecosystem, ” says Wang. “We know that the centers of galaxies are where the action is and they play a huge role in their evolution.” And yet what happened in the center of our own galaxy is difficult to study, despite its relative proximity to Earth, because, as Wang explains, it is obscured by a dense fog of gas and dust. We cannot see the center even with the most advanced instrument.
But this time a different telescope was used, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, which “sees” X-rays, rather than the visible light rays that we perceive with our own eyes . Thus, in this incredible composite photograph, we can see powerful X-rays illuminate the central regions surrounding the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, Sagittarius A *, with powerful magnetic fields stretching hundreds of light years.
Magnetic wires tend to occur at the outer limits of large columns of hot gas. This suggests that the gas in the columns is driving magnetic fields that collide to create the threads.
“This thread reveals a new phenomenon, ” Wang explained. “It is evidence of an ongoing magnetic field reconnection event.” A magnetic field reconnection event occurs when two opposing magnetic fields are forced together and combine, releasing a large amount of energy. This violent process is responsible for solar flares, which can produce incredibly bright northern lights. Therefore, we still have a lot to understand about our galaxy.
Reference: “Chandra large-scale mapping of the Galactic center: Probing high-energy structures around the central molecular zone” by Q. Daniel Wang, 27 April 2021, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. DOI: 10.1093 / mnras / stab801
