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Paper: Thin, Cold Strands of Hydrogen in the Riegel-Crutcher Cloud
Volume: 365, SINS — Small Ionized and Neutral Structures in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium
Page: 65
Authors: McClure-Griffiths, N.M.; Dickey, J.M.; Gaensler, B.M.; Green, A.J.; Haverkorn, M.
Abstract: We present new high resolution (1 arcminute) neutral hydrogen (HI) images of the Riegel-Crutcher cloud observed in self-absorption in the direction of the Galactic Center. The large nearby sheet of cold hydrogen is resolved into a network of dozens of thin (0.1 pc wide) hair-like filaments. Individual filaments are up to 17 pc long, presenting a remarkable aspect ratio of 170. Although on larger spatial scale, these strands seem to support the Heiles (1997) argument that Tiny Scale Atomic Structure is contained in curved sheets and filaments. Comparing the HI images with observations of stellar polarization, we show that the filaments are very well aligned with the local magnetic field. We argue that the magnetic field provides the magnetic tension necessary to hold these filaments straight.
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