Origin of the Fermi bubble

K. S. Cheng, D. O. Chernyshov, V. A. Dogiel, C. M. Ko, W. H. Ip

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

99 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fermi has discovered two giant gamma-ray-emitting bubbles that extend nearly 10kpc in diameter north and south of the Galactic center. The existence of the bubbles was first evidenced in X-rays detected by ROSAT and later WMAP detected an excess of radio signals at the location of the gamma-ray bubbles. We propose that periodic star capture processes by the galactic supermassive black hole, Sgr A*, with a capture rate 3 × 10-5 yr -1 and energy release ∼3 × 1052 erg per capture can produce very hot plasma ∼10 keV with a wind velocity ∼108 cm s-1 injected into the halo and heat up the halo gas to ∼1 keV, which produces thermal X-rays. The periodic injection of hot plasma can produce shocks in the halo and accelerate electrons to ∼TeV, which produce radio emission via synchrotron radiation and gamma rays via inverse Compton scattering with the relic and the galactic soft photons.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberL17
JournalAstrophysical Journal Letters
Volume731
Issue number1 PART II
DOIs
StatePublished - 10 Apr 2011

Keywords

  • Galaxy: halo
  • black hole physics
  • galaxies: jets
  • radiation mechanisms: non-thermal

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