Abstract
We have discovered a highly unusual radio source lying within 1° of the galactic centre whose 'cometary' morphology suggests that it is a wake produced by a radio source moving supersonically with respect to the ambient interstellar medium. Most galactic sources of nonthermal radio continuum radiation are supernova remnants, which retain a degree of spherical symmetry. Observations of high sensitivity and resolution from the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope in New Mexico have shown that within a few degrees of the galactic centre the sky harbours a number of unusual asymmetric structures, including narrow filaments1–3 and highly distorted supernova remnants4–7. Here we report the finding of a collimated axisymmetric nonthermal source.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to the full article PDF.
USD 39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
1. Yusef-Zadeh, R, Morris, M. & Chance, D. Nature 310, 557-561 (1984). 2. Morris, M. & Yusef-Zadeh, F. Astrophys. J. 90, 2511-2513 (1985). 3. Liszt, H. Astrophys. J. 293, L65-L67 (1985). 4. Shaver, P. A., Salter, C. J., Patnaik, A. R., van Gorkom, J. H. & Hunt, G. C. Nature 313, 113-115 (1985). 5. Becker, R. H. & Helfand, D. J. Nature 313, 115-118 (1985) 6. Helfand, D. J. & Becker, R. H. Nature 313, 118-119 (1985). 7. Caswell, J. L. et al Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 225, 329-334 (1985). 8. Birkhofi, G. & Zarantonello, E. H. Jets, Wakes and Cavities Ch. 8 (Academic, New York, 1957). 9. Downes, D., Goss, W. M., Scwartz, U. & Wouterloot, J. G. A. Astr. Astrophys. Suppl. 35, 1-22 (1984). 10. Reich, W. & Furst, E. Astr. Astrophys. Suppl 57, 165-167 (1984). 11. Wilson, A. S. & Ulvstad, J. S. Astrophys. J. 275, 8-14 (1983). 12. O'Dea, C. & Owen, F. Astrophys. J. 301, 841-859 (1986). 13. Weiler, K. W. in The Crab Nebula and Related Supernova Remnants (eds Kafatos, M. C. & Henry, R. B. C.) 265-285 (Cambridge University Press, 1985). 14. Fomalont, E. B., Geldzahler, B. J., Hjelming, R. M. & Wade, C. M. Astrophys. J. 275, 802-807 (1983). 15. Margon, B., Grandi, S. & Downes, R. A. Astrophys. J. 241, 306-315 (1980). 16. Gott, J. R. Astrophys. J. 173, 227-234 (1972). 17. Clark, D. H., Parkinson, J. H. & Caswell, J. L. Nature 254, 674-676 (1975). 18. Haynes, R. F. et al. Nature 324, 233-253 (1986).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yusef-Zadeh, F., Bally, J. A non-thermal axially symmetric radio wake towards the galactic centre. Nature 330, 455–458 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/330455a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/330455a0
This article is cited by
-
Pulsar-Wind Nebulae and Magnetar Outflows: Observations at Radio, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Wavelengths
Space Science Reviews (2017)
-
A powerful bursting radio source towards the Galactic Centre
Nature (2005)
-
Pulsar nebulae
Astrophysics and Space Science (1992)
-
A filamentary radio source near the Galactic Centre
Nature (1991)
-
Unusual radio source MG1131+0456: a possible Einstein ring
Nature (1988)
