银河中心的电波弧

2023年4月3日

The Galactic Center Radio Arc
Image Credit: Ian Heywood (Oxford U.), SARAO;

Explanation: What causes this unusual curving structure near the center of our Galaxy? The long parallel rays slanting across the top of the featured radio image are known collectively as the Galactic Center Radio Arc and point out from the Galactic plane. The Radio Arc is connected to the Galactic Center by strange curving filaments known as the Arches. The bright radio structure at the bottom right surrounds a black hole at the Galactic Center and is known as Sagittarius A*. One origin hypothesis holds that the Radio Arc and the Arches have their geometry because they contain hot plasma flowing along lines of a constant magnetic field. Images from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory appear to show this plasma colliding with a nearby cloud of cold gas.

Tomorrow’s picture: from inner mars

银河中心的电波弧
影像提供: Ian Heywood (Oxford U.), SARAO;

说明: 是什么造成我们银河中心附近的这种不寻常弯曲结构呢? 斜贯过这幅主题电波影像上方的长平行线，合称为银河中心电波弧，是一种从银河盘面穿出的结构。电波弧以名为拱状物的奇特弯曲细丝和银河中心相接。影像右下角的明亮电波结构，很可能环拱着位于银河中心、名为人马A*的黑洞。此电波弧的起源假说之一认为：电波弧与拱状物的几何形状，来自沿定值磁场线流动、受到磁场拘束的炽热电浆。而钱德拉X射线天文台回传的影像，看似证实这些电浆正在冲撞附近的低温气体云。

明日的图片: from inner mars