Open AccessPolarization of X‐ray emission from the Sgr B2 cloud
Author(s) -
Churazov E.,
Sunyaev R.,
Sazonov S.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05113.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , reflection nebula , astronomy , emission spectrum , flare , molecular cloud , polarization (electrochemistry) , nebula , spectral line , stars , chemistry
The Sgr B2 giant molecular cloud is claimed to be an ‘X‐ray reflection nebula’– the reprocessing site of a powerful flare of the Sgr A* source, which occurred a few hundred years ago. The shape of the X‐ray spectrum and the strength of the iron fluorescent line support this hypothesis. We argue that the cleanest test of the origin of X‐rays from Sgr B2 would be a detection of polarized emission from this source.