The Magnetic Field in the Galactic Center: Results from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)
David T. Chuss (Department of Physics, Villanova University)
Understanding the physics at work in our Milky Way’s center is crucial to our understanding of Galactic dynamics. In addition, the proximity of our own Galactic center to Earth enables the most detailed means for probing the physics of galactic nuclei in general.
The central 150 parsecs of our Galaxy are commonly known as the “Central Molecular Zone (CMZ)”. This region is known for conditions that are unique in our Galaxy. Cloud masses and velocity dispersions are larger than in the disk. There are numerous supernova remnants, and co-incident with the cool material is a hot ionized phase. Amidst this hot phase exists a series of long thin synchrotron structures known as the “Non-thermal Filaments (NTFs)”. These structures are understood to trace a magnetic field that is oriented predominantly perpendicular to the plane. Despite having been discovered 40 years ago, neither the origins of the NTFs nor the dynamics of their associated magnetic field are well understood.
Measurement of polarized emission from magnetically-aligned dust at far-infrared wavelengths provides an additional important tool for addressing these questions. In this talk, I will describe polarimetric results from NASA’s SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy) mission, focusing on the large survey project entitled the Far-InfraREd Polarimetric Large-Area CMZ Exploration (FIREPLACE).
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