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arXiv:2109.14720astro-ph.GA

A Unified Model for the Fan Region and the North Polar Spur: A bundle of filaments in the Local Galaxy

J. L. West, T. L. Landecker, B. M. Gaensler, T. Jaffe, A. S. Hill

Abstract

We present a simple, unified model that can explain two of the brightest, large-scale, diffuse, polarized radio features in the sky, the North Polar Spur (NPS) and the Fan Region, along with several other prominent loops. We suggest that they are long, magnetized, and parallel filamentary structures that surround the Local arm and/or Local Bubble, in which the Sun is embedded. We show this model is consistent with the large number of observational studies on these regions, and is able to resolve an apparent contradiction in the literature that suggests the high latitude portion of the NPS is nearby, while lower latitude portions are more distant. Understanding the contributions of this local emission is critical to developing a complete model of the Galactic magnetic field. These very nearby structures also provide context to help understand similar non-thermal, filamentary structures that are increasingly being observed with modern radio telescopes.

arXiv comments
21 pages, 13 figures, Accepted to ApJ
Journal reference
DOI
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac2ba2
Subjects
astro-ph.GAAstrophysics of Galaxies

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Discussed in comments2 threads

  1. Our entire solar system may exist inside a giant magnetic tunnel 1 comment

    • The arXiv release can be found at: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2109.14720.pdf Looking through its fairly neat looking as far as imagery. Personally, they use the word tunnel, yet it appears more like the solar system exists inside a really large violin string resonance zone. May also…

      araesView on HNParent context

  2. New model proposes a filament-like magnetic tunnel encompassing the solar system 2 comments

    • for some reason the Vice article links to the wrong paper? anyway, here's the link to the actual paper regarding the matter ;-) https://arxiv.org/pdf/2109.14720

      kataklasmView on HNParent context

    • > But landing on this conclusion was only possible when West reframed her vision of the galaxy—literally. While most researchers look at maps of the Milky Way with the North Pole at the top and the galactic center in the middle, West told Motherboard that redrawing this map from…

      DiggyJohnsonView on HNParent context

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