A Jet Model of the Galactic Center Nonthermal Radio Filaments

Abstract

Protostellar sources in star forming regions are responsible for driving jets with flow velocities ranging between 300 and 400 km s$^{-1}$. This class of jets consists of highly collimated outflows which include thermal knots with number densities estimated to be greater than that of their ambient medium. On the other hand, extragalactic FR I jets consist of light fluid with low Mach number burrowing through a denser medium as the magnetized jets radiate nonthermal emission. Both protostellar and extragalactic jets are believed to be launched by accretion disks. Here we consider a jet model in which the characteristics common to both protostellar and extragalactic jets are used to explain the origin of nonthermal filaments in the Galactic center region. We argue that these filaments are analogous to FR I extragalactic sources but are launched by embedded young stars or clusters of stars in star-forming regions.