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