Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: We present new high-resolution (100'') neutral hydrogen (H I) self-absorption images of the Riegel-Crutcher cloud obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array and the Parkes Radio Telescope. The Riegel-Crutcher cloud lies in the direction of the Galactic center at a distance of 125 ± 25 pc. Our observations resolve the very large, nearby sheet of cold hydrogen into a spectacular network of dozens of hairlike filaments. Individual filaments are remarkably elongated, being up to 17 pc long with widths of less than ~0.1 pc. The strands are reasonably cold, with spin temperatures of ~40 K and in many places appearing to have optical depths larger than 1. Comparing the H I images with observations of stellar polarization, we show that the filaments are very well aligned with the ambient magnetic field. We argue that the structure of the cloud has been determined by its magnetic field. In order for the cloud to be magnetically dominated the magnetic field strength must be >30 μG.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
DOI: 10.1086/508706
Authors: N. M. McClure‐Griffiths, J. M. Dickey, B. M. Gaensler, A. J. Green, Marijke Haverkorn
Institutions: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia Telescope National Facility, University of Tasmania, The University of Sydney, Harvard University, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, University of California, Berkeley
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1963537033