No Arabic abstract
We investigate roles of magnetic activity in the Galactic bulge region in driving large-scale outflows of size $sim 10$ kpc. Magnetic buoyancy and breakups of channel flows formed by magnetorotational instability excite Poynting flux by the magnetic tension force. A three-dimensional global numerical simulation shows that the average luminosity of such Alfvenic Poynting flux is $10^{40} - 10^{41}$ erg s$^{-1}$. We examine the energy and momentum transfer from the Poynting flux to the gas by solving time-dependent hydrodynamical simulations with explicitly taking into account low-frequency Alfvenic waves of period of 0.5 Myr in a one-dimensional vertical magnetic flux tube. The Alfvenic waves propagate upward into the Galactic halo, and they are damped through the propagation along meandering magnetic field lines. If the turbulence is nearly trans-Alfv{e}nic, the wave damping is significant, which leads to the formation of an upward propagating shock wave. At the shock front, the temperature $gtrsim 5times 10^6$ K, the density $approx 6times 10^{-4}$ cm$^{-3}$, and the outflow velocity $approx 400-500$ km s$^{-1}$ at a height $approx 10$ kpc, which reasonably explain the basic physical properties of the thermal component of the Fermi bubbles.
We study magnetically powered relativistic outflows in which a part of the magnetic energy is dissipated internally by reconnection. For GRB parameters, and assuming that the reconnection speed scales with the Alfven speed, significant dissipation can take place both inside and outside the photosphere of the flow. The process leads to a steady increase of the flow Lorentz factor with radius. With an analytic model we show how the efficiency of this process depends on GRB parameters. Estimates are given for the thermal and non-thermal radiation expected to be emitted from the photosphere and the optically thin part of the flow respectively. A critical parameter of the model is the ratio of Poynting flux to kinetic energy flux at some initial radius of the flow. For a large value (> 100) the non-thermal radiation dominates over the thermal component. If the ratio is small (< 40) only prompt thermal emission is expected which can be identified with X-ray flashes.
Using hydrodynamical simulations, we show for the first time that an episode of star formation in the center of the Milky Way, with a star-formation-rate (SFR) $sim 0.5$ M$_odot$ yr$^{-1}$ for $sim 30$ Myr, can produce bubbles that resemble the Fermi Bubbles (FBs), when viewed from the solar position. The morphology, extent and multi-wavelength observations of FBs, especially X-rays, constrain various physical parameters such as SFR, age, and the circum-galactic medium (CGM) density. We show that the interaction of the CGM with the Galactic wind driven by a star formation in the central region can explain the observed surface brightness and morphological features of X-rays associated with the Fermi Bubbles. Furthermore, assuming that cosmic ray electrons are accelerated {it in situ} by shocks and/or turbulence, the brightness and morphology of gamma-ray emission and the microwave haze can be explained. The kinematics of the cold and warm clumps in our model also matches with recent observations of absorption lines through the bubbles.
There are two spectacular structures in our Milky Way: the {it Fermi} bubbles in gamma-ray observations and the North Polar Spur (NPS) structure in X-ray observations. Because of their morphological similarities, they may share the same origin, i.e., related to the past activity of Galactic center (GC). Besides, those structures show significant bending feature toward the west in Galactic coordinates. This inspires us to consider the possibility that the bending may be caused by a presumed global horizontal galactic wind (HGW) blowing from the east to the west. Under this assumption, we adopt a toy shock expansion model to understand two observational features: (1) the relative thickness of the NPS; (2) the bending of the {it Fermi} bubbles and NPS. In this model, the contact discontinuity (CD) marks the boundary of the {it Fermi} bubbles, and the shocked interstellar medium (ISM) marks the NPS X-ray structure. We find that the Mach number of the forward shock in the east is $sim$ 1.9-2.3, and the velocity of the HGW is ~ 0.7-0.9 $c_{s}$. Depending on the temperature of the pre-shock ISM, the velocity of the expanding NPS in Galactic coordinates is around 180-290 km/s, and the HGW is ~ 110-190 km/s. We argue that, the age of the NPS and the {it Fermi} bubbles is about 18-34 Myr. This is a novel method, independent of injection theories and radiative mechanisms, for the estimation on the age of the {it Fermi} bubble/NPS.
We investigate the production of the gamma-ray spectrum of a Poynting-flux dominated GRB ouflow. The very high magnetic field strengths (super-equipartition) in such a flow lead to very efficient synchrotron emission. In contrast with internal shocks, dissipation of magnetic energy by reconnection is gradual and does not produce the spectrum of cooling electrons associated with shock acceleration.We show that a spectrum with a break in the BATSE energy range is produced, instead, if the magnetic dissipation heats a small (sim 10^{-4}) population of electrons.
Merging binaries of compact relativistic objects (neutron stars and black holes) are thought to be progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts and sources of gravitational waves, hence their study is of great importance for astrophysics. Because of the strong magnetic field of one or both binary members and high orbital frequencies, these binaries are strong sources of energy in the form of Poynting flux (e.g., magnetic-field-dominated outflows, relativistic leptonic winds, electromagnetic and plasma waves). The steady injection of energy by the binary forms a bubble (or a cavity) filled with matter with the relativistic equation of state, which pushes on the surrounding plasma and can drive a shock wave in it. Unlike the Sedov-von Neumann-Taylor blast wave solution for a point-like explosion, the shock wave here is continuously driven by the ever-increasing pressure inside the bubble. We calculate from the first principles the dynamics and evolution of the bubble and the shock surrounding it and predict that such systems can be observed as radio sources a few hours before and after the merger. At much later times, the shock is expected to settle onto the Sedov-von Neumann-Taylor solution, thus resembling an explosion.