Detection of large-scale X-ray bubbles in the Milky Way halo

P. Predehl (), R. A. Sunyaev (), W. Becker, H. Brunner, R. Burenin, A. Bykov, A. Cherepashchuk, N. Chugai, E. Churazov (), V. Doroshenko, N. Eismont, M. Freyberg, M. Gilfanov (), F. Haberl, I. Khabibullin, R. Krivonos, C. Maitra, P. Medvedev, A. Merloni (), K. Nandra (), Vladimir Nazarov, M. Pavlinsky, G. Ponti, J. S. Sanders, M. Sasaki, S. Sazonov, A. W. Strong and J. Wilms
Additional contact information
P. Predehl: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
R. A. Sunyaev: Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
W. Becker: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
H. Brunner: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
R. Burenin: Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
A. Bykov: Ioffe Institute
A. Cherepashchuk: M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, P. K. Sternberg Astronomical Institute
N. Chugai: Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences
E. Churazov: Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
V. Doroshenko: Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik
N. Eismont: Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
M. Freyberg: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
M. Gilfanov: Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
F. Haberl: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
I. Khabibullin: Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
R. Krivonos: Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
C. Maitra: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
P. Medvedev: Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
A. Merloni: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
K. Nandra: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
M. Pavlinsky: Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
G. Ponti: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
J. S. Sanders: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
M. Sasaki: Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
S. Sazonov: Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
A. W. Strong: Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik
J. Wilms: Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Nature, 2020, vol. 588, issue 7837, 227-231

Abstract: Abstract The halo of the Milky Way provides a laboratory to study the properties of the shocked hot gas that is predicted by models of galaxy formation. There is observational evidence of energy injection into the halo from past activity in the nucleus of the Milky Way1–4; however, the origin of this energy (star formation or supermassive-black-hole activity) is uncertain, and the causal connection between nuclear structures and large-scale features has not been established unequivocally. Here we report soft-X-ray-emitting bubbles that extend approximately 14 kiloparsecs above and below the Galactic centre and include a structure in the southern sky analogous to the North Polar Spur. The sharp boundaries of these bubbles trace collisionless and non-radiative shocks, and corroborate the idea that the bubbles are not a remnant of a local supernova5 but part of a vast Galaxy-scale structure closely related to features seen in γ-rays6. Large energy injections from the Galactic centre7 are the most likely cause of both the γ-ray and X-ray bubbles. The latter have an estimated energy of around 1056 erg, which is sufficient to perturb the structure, energy content and chemical enrichment of the circumgalactic medium of the Milky Way.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2979-0

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