English

A New High-latitude H I Cloud Complex Entrained in the Northern Fermi Bubble

Astrophysics of Galaxies 2025-07-08 v2

Abstract

We report the discovery of eleven high-velocity HI clouds at Galactic latitudes of 25-30 degrees, likely embedded in the Milky Way's nuclear wind. The clouds are detected with deep Green Bank Telescope 21 cm observations of a 3.2×6.23.2^\circ \times 6.2^\circ field around QSO 1H1613-097, located behind the northern Fermi Bubble. Our measurements reach 3σ3\sigma limits on NHI N_{\mathrm{HI}} as low as 3.1×10173.1 \times 10^{17} cm2^{-2}, more than twice as sensitive as previous HI studies of the Bubbles. The clouds span 180vLSR90-180 \leq v_{\mathrm{LSR}} \leq -90 km/s and are the highest-latitude 21 cm HVCs detected inside the Bubbles. Eight clouds are spatially resolved, showing coherent structures with sizes of 4-28 pc, peak column densities of log(NHI/cm2)=17.9-18.7\log(N_{\mathrm{HI}}/\mathrm{cm}^2) = 17.9\text{-}18.7, and HI masses up to 1470 MM_\odot. Several exhibit internal velocity gradients. Their presence at such high latitudes is surprising, given the short expected survival times for clouds expelled from the Galactic Center. These objects may be fragments of a larger cloud disrupted by interaction with the surrounding hot gas.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2504.21091,
  title  = {A New High-latitude H I Cloud Complex Entrained in the Northern Fermi Bubble},
  author = {Rongmon Bordoloi and Andrew J. Fox and Felix J. Lockman},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.21091},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

Astrophysical Journal Letters published, 4 Figures, 1 Table