G0.173-0.42: an X-ray and radio magnetized filament near the galactic center

TL;DR

This study investigates a magnetized filament near the Galactic center, revealing interactions between radio and X-ray filaments likely caused by magnetic reconnection, and suggests inverse Compton scattering as the X-ray emission mechanism.

Contribution

It provides detailed structural analysis of G0.173-0.42 using multi-wavelength data and proposes a magnetic reconnection and inverse Compton scattering model for the observed emissions.

Findings

Interaction between radio and X-ray filaments suggests magnetic reconnection.

Inverse Compton scattering likely explains X-ray emission.

Filament structure and spectral index variations support the interaction hypothesis.

Abstract

The recent detection of an X-ray filament associated with the radio filament G0.173-0.42 adds to four other nonthermal radio filaments with X-ray counterparts, amongst the more than 100 elongated radio structures that have been identified as synchrotron-emitting radio filaments in the inner couple of degrees of the Galactic center. The synchrotron mechanism has also been proposed to explain the emission from X-ray filaments. However, the origin of radio filaments and the acceleration sites of energetic particles to produce synchrotron emission in radio and X-rays remain mysterious. Using MeerKAT, VLA, Chandra, WISE and Spitzer, we present structural details of G0.173-0.42 which consists of multiple radio filaments, one of which has an X-ray counterpart. A faint oblique radio filament crosses the radio and X-ray filaments. Based on the morphology, brightening of radio and X-ray intensities, and radio spectral index variation, we argue that a physical interaction is taking place between two magnetized filaments. We consider that the reconnection of the magnetic field lines at the interaction site leads to the acceleration of particles to GeV energies. We also argue against the synchrotron mechanism for the X-ray emission due to the short $\sim$30 year lifetime of TeV relativistic particles. Instead, we propose that the inverse Compton scattering mechanism is more likely to explain the X-ray emission by upscattering of seed photons emitted from a 10^6 solar luminosity star located at the northern tip of the X-ray filament.