The Origin of Filaments in the Interstellar Medium
R. Rosner, G. Bodo;
ApJ, 1996, 470, L49
ABSTRACT:Radio observations of the Milky Way indicate that "filaments," or
enlongated plasma structures, seen in synchrotron emission from accelerated
electrons, are a common feature within our Galaxy.
A number of theories attempt to
explain this spatial structuring; however, we show that none can account
quantitatively for the most striking aspect of these observations, namely, the
observed transverse dimensions of the filaments.
We then describe a new model,
which provides both a plausible source of the accelerated electrons and a
physical process that can explain the filamentation process.
In particular,
we show that a particle acceleration process, akin to the acceleration of
the anomalous cosmic-ray component associated with the solar wind
termination shock, can provide an economical explanation both for the
acceleration and, in part, for the filamentation process; the filamentation
process may then be further assisted by radiative instabilities driven by
synchrotron emission.
This model connects processes related to star formation
with "activity" observed in the interstellar medium.
KEYWORDS: ism: structure, ism: bubbles, acceleration of particles, ism: magnetic fields, stars: mass loss
PERSOKEY:general ism, ,
CODE: rosner96