Revealing hot gas outflows from the Galactic Center

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K17674
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2017-2018); Japan Aerospace EXploration Agency (2016)
• Principal Investigator: Nakashima Shinya 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 開拓研究本部, 基礎科学特別研究員 (20737449)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 天の川銀河中心 / X線 / すざく衛星 / ひとみ衛星

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Purpose of this research is to reveal nature and origin of hot gas outflows from the Galactic Center. We discovered that hot gas created by supernovae is blowing out from the Galactic Center along a strong magnetic field. We also revealed spatial distribution of the Galactic hot gaseous halo, which becomes background emission in analyses of high Galactic latitude regions. In addition, we performed the calibration of the Hitomi data. Even though no significant results were derived from the limited Hitomi data, the XRISM satellite (successor of Hitomi) will likely provides unique results.

Free Research Field

X線天文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

天の川銀河は比較的静穏であるが、星生成活動に伴って高温ガスが吹き出していることを示した。このような高温ガスの吹き出しによって、銀河内の物質循環が促進されていると考えられる。また銀河中心領域では磁場が重要な役割を果たすこともわかった。