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Modeling The Galactic Center Nonthermal Filaments As Magnetized Wakes, Russell B. Dahlburg, Giorgio Einaudi, Ted N. La Rosa, Steven N. Shore

Faculty and Research Publications

We simulate the Galactic center nonthermal laments as magnetized wakes formed dynamically from amplification of a weak ( tens of l G) global magnetic field through the interaction of molecular clouds with a Galactic center wind. One of the key issues in this cometary model is the stability of the lament against dynamical disruption. Here we show two-dimensional MHD simulations for interstellar conditions that are appropriate for the Galactic center. The structures eventually disrupt through a shear-driven nonlinear instability but maintain coherence for lengths up to 100 times their width as observed. The final instability, which destroys the lament through …