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Paper: Young Stellar Clusters, WR-Type Phenomena and the Origin of the Galactic-Center Non-thermal Radio Filaments
Volume: 367, Massive Stars in Interactive Binaries
Page: 651
Authors: Yusef-Zadeh, F.
Abstract: Recent observations of the Arches cluster located within a projected distance of 30 pc from the dynamical center of the Galaxy have shown the presence of diffuse and discrete X-ray continuum emission, diffuse 6.4keV line emission as well as thermal and non-thermal radio continuum emission. This young and dense stellar cluster is also recognized to be within the 95% error circle of an identified steady source of γ-ray emission associated with the EGRET source 3EG J1746–2851. Much of the thermal and non-thermal emission can be explained by shocked gas resulting from colliding winds originating from massive binaries within the cluster. In particular, we argue that non-thermal particles could upscatter the radiation field of the cluster by ICS (inverse-Compton scattering) and account for the γ-ray emission. We also consider that the fluorescent 6.4 keV line emission may be the result of the impact of low-energy relativistic particles on neutral gas distributed in the vicinity of the cluster. Lastly, we sketch an interpretation in which young stellar clusters and massive young binary systems are responsible for the origin of non-thermal radio filaments found throughout the inner 300pc of the Galaxy. The collimation of the non-thermal filaments may be done in the colliding-wind region by the ionized surface of individual mass-losing stars of massive binary systems. In this picture, a WR-type phenomenon is expected to power a central star burst in the Galactic center in order to account for all the observed filaments.
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