Scientists Detect "Strange Filaments" at the Heart of Our Galaxy

Researchers have zoomed in on the area surrounding the supermassive black hole lurking at the center of our galaxy, and made a fascinating discovery: a structure of "strange filaments" driving a cycle of gas emissions and replenishment. As detailed in a new paper published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the international team of astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the Chilean desert to produce high-resolution observations of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), a region known for continuously cycling through copious amounts of dust and gas molecules. However, how these cycles of formation and destruction actually function has largely remained a mystery. But thanks to ALMA's highly detailed map of the region, astronomers discovered a new type of filamentary structure, which reacts to shock waves rippling through the region. "When we checked the ALMA images showing the outflows, we noticed these long and narrow filaments spatially offset ... Read full article.