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Cited by 50Astrophysical Phenomena and ObservationsGalaxies: Formation, Evolution, PhenomenaAstrophysics and Star Formation Studies

The Galactic center chimneys: the base of the multiphase outflow of the Milky Way

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Ponti, G., Morris, M. R., Churazov, E., Heywood, I., Fender, R. P.·2021·Astronomy & Astrophysics
DOI 10.1051/0004-6361/202039636
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Abstract

Context.Outflows and feedback are key ingredients of galaxy evolution. Evidence for an outflow arising from the Galactic center (GC) – the so-called GC chimneys – has recently been discovered at radio, infrared, and X-ray bands. Aims.We undertake a detailed examination of the spatial relationships between the emission in the different bands in order to place constraints on the nature and history of the chimneys and to better understand their impact on the GC environment and their relation with Galactic scale outflows. Methods.We compare X-ray, radio, and infrared maps of the central few square degrees. Results.The X-ray, radio, and infrared emissions are deeply interconnected, affecting one another and forming coherent features on scales of hundreds of parsecs, therefore indicating a common physical link associated with the GC outflow. We debate the location of the northern chimney and suggest that it might be located on the front side of the GC because of a significant tilt of the chimneys toward us. We report the presence of strong shocks at the interface between the chimneys and the interstellar medium, which are traced by radio and warm dust emission. We observe entrained molecular gas outflowing within the chimneys, revealing the multiphase nature of the outflow. In particular, the molecular outflow produces a long, strong, and structured shock along the northwestern wall of the chimney. Because of the different dynamical times of the various components of the outflow, the chimneys appear to be shaped by directed large-scale winds launched at different epochs. The data support the idea that the chimneys are embedded in an (often dominant) vertical magnetic field, which likely diverges with increasing latitude. We observe that the thermal pressure associated with the hot plasma appears to be smaller than the ram pressure of the molecular outflow and the magnetic pressure. This leaves open the possibility that either the main driver of the outflow is more powerful than the observed hot plasma, or the chimneys represent a “relic” of past and more powerful activity. Conclusions.These multiwavelength observations corroborate the idea that the chimneys represent the channel connecting the quasi-continuous, but intermittent, activity at the GC with the base of the Fermi bubbles. In particular, the prominent edges and shocks observed in the radio and mid-infrared bands testify to the most powerful, more recent outflows from the central parsecs of the Milky Way.

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Crossref · 10.1051/0004-6361/202039636

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  • Depending on shock velocity, a photon precursor can sufficiently heat dust to emit in the 12 μm band while dust inside the shock is heated by collisional processes and emits in both 12 and 22 μm bands.

    “Depending on the shock velocity, such a photon precursor can sufficiently heat the dust to emit in the 12 µ m band (Draine & Li 2007; Draine 2011) while the dust inside the shock is heated by collisional processes, and therefore, emits in both 12 µ m and 22 µ m bands (Ponti et al. 2021).”

    From The Fermi/eROSITA bubbles: a look into the nuclear outflow from the Milky Way (2024) · cites this paper as Ponti et al. 2021

    Section 3.3.4 (p. 11) says that dust heated after the shock enhances emission at both 12.08 and 22.2 μm. It does not specify collisional heating as the mechanism. The photon-heating clause is cited to Draine and Li and to Draine, rather than to Ponti et al. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • The 12 μm emission extends about 0.1° beyond the radio and the 22 μm emission.

    “Ponti et al. (2021) find that the mid-IR emission follows the radio emission very closely and that the 12 µ m emission extends about ∼ 0 . 1 ◦ beyond the radio and the 22 µ memission (panel c in figure 7).”

    From The Fermi/eROSITA bubbles: a look into the nuclear outflow from the Milky Way (2024) · cites this paper as Ponti et al. 2021

    The Fig. 6 caption (p. 9) says the radio emission is well correlated with warm-dust emission and that 22.2 μm emission peaks inside the 12.08 μm spur. Section 3.3.4 (p. 11) places the 12.08 μm peak at or sometimes outside the radio-traced shock along the northwestern edge. These passages support the qualitative comparison, but do not give a 0.1° extension beyond both the radio and 22 μm emission. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Ponti et al. (2021) detected 4 more SNRs in the CMZ which updates the estimated SFR to be 0.05-0.2 M⊙/yr in the last 10-40 kyr.

    “More recently, Ponti et al. (2021) detected 4 more SNRs in the CMZ which updates the estimated SFR to be 0 . 05 -0 . 2 M ⊙ yr -1 in the last 10 -40 kyr.”

    From The Fermi/eROSITA bubbles: a look into the nuclear outflow from the Milky Way (2024) · cites this paper as Ponti et al. 2021

    Section 3.6 (p. 13) says the XMM-Newton and MeerKAT maps show at least four SNRs in the region. It does not say these are four additional detections or use them to update the CMZ star-formation rate to 0.05–0.2 M⊙/yr over the last 10–40 kyr; its separate SFR figure concerns the Sgr B molecular complex. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The mid-IR emission follows the radio emission very closely.

    “Ponti et al. (2021) find that the mid-IR emission follows the radio emission very closely and that the 12 µ m emission extends about ∼ 0 . 1 ◦ beyond the radio and the 22 µ memission (panel c in figure 7).”

    From The Fermi/eROSITA bubbles: a look into the nuclear outflow from the Milky Way (2024) · cites this paper as Ponti et al. 2021

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. Blanton, M. C. 2008, Ph.D. Thesis
  2. Di Teodoro, E. M., McClure-Gri ths, N. M., Lockman, F. J., et al. 2020, arXiv:2008.09121 · arXiv
  3. Morris, M. 2006b, Journal of Physics Conference Series, 54, 1
  4. Morris, M. R. 2015, Lessons from the Local Group: A Conference in honor of David Block and Bruce Elmegreen, 391
  5. Oka, T. & Geballe, T. R. 2020, arXiv:2008.10215 · arXiv
  6. Tsuboi, M., Tsutsumi, T., Kitamura, Y., et al. 2020, arXiv:2007.09673 · arXiv
  7. Wang, Q. D. 2020, arXiv:2010.02932 · arXiv

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Related

Authors
Ponti, G., Morris, M. R., Churazov, E., Heywood, I., & Fender, R. P.
Affiliations
  • Brera Astronomical Observatory (IT)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • Space Research Institute (RU)
  • Rhodes University (ZA)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
ORCID
Venue
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Publisher
EDP Sciences
Published
2021-02
Volume
646
Pages
A66
ISSN
  • 0004-6361 (ISSN-L)
  • 1432-0746
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/202039636
OpenAlex
W3120524388
Cited by
50
References
102
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 6
FWCI
5.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.edpsciences.org/en/authors/copyright-and-licensing (vor, 8 d)
Locations
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Funders
European Research Council (865637)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Keywords
Milky Way, Fermi bubbles, multiphase outflows, shock, molecular outflows, interstellar medium, magnetic field, ram pressure, X-ray emission, radio emission, infrared emission, galaxy feedback

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