Broadband radio study of the North Polar Spur: Origin of the spectral turnover with insights into the X-ray and Gamma-ray spectra

TL;DR

This study analyzes broadband radio data of the North Polar Spur to understand its spectral turnover, magnetic field, and gamma-ray emission, providing insights into its origin and energetic properties.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive analysis of the NPS's radio spectrum, estimates magnetic field strength, and models associated gamma-ray emission, advancing understanding of its physical nature.

Findings

Synchrotron emission dominates at high galactic latitudes.

Spectral turnover at ~1 GHz suggests electron cooling effects.

Gamma-ray flux peaks at 100-1000 keV, detectable by future observatories.

Abstract

The North Polar Spur (NPS) is a giant structure that is clearly visible in both radio and X-ray all-sky maps. We analyzed broadband radio observations covering a range between 22 MHz and 70 GHz to systematically analyze the thermal/non-thermal emissions associated with the NPS. We demonstrate that the radio emission of the NPS comprises synchrotron, free-free, and dust emission; however, synchrotron emissions dominate over other emissions, especially at high galactic-latitudes. Moreover, the synchrotron spectra exhibit a power-law behavior with $N(\gamma)\propto\gamma^{-s}$ ($s\simeq1.8-2.4$) up to a few GHz moderated by a turnover at $\nu_{\rm brk} \simeq 1$ GHz, above which the spectral index $s$ decrease by one. Assuming that the turnover is due to the electrons cooled by synchrotron radiation before escaping (or advecting) from the emission region, the magnetic field strength can be estimated to be $B\sim 8 \rm\mu G$ if the NPS is a distant structure that is near the Galactic Center (GC). However, an unreasonably strong $B\sim 114\rm\mu G$ is required if the NPS is near the local supernova remnant (SNR). The corresponding non-thermal energy stored in the NPS is $E_{\rm n/th}\simeq 4.4\times 10^{55}$ erg in the GC scenario, whereas $E_{\rm n/th}\simeq 4.1\times 10^{52}$ erg is difficult to explain with a single local SNR. We also estimated the gamma-ray emission associated with the NPS through inverse Comptonization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which peaks at 100 - 1000 keV with a flux of $\nu F_{\nu}\sim 10^{-9}$ $\rm erg\,cm^{-2}s^{-1}sr^{-1}$ in the GC model, and may be a good candidate for detection by future X-ray/gamma-ray observatories.