Local Bubble

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Local Bubble is a cavity in the interstellar

medium (ISM) in the Orion Arm of the Milky
Way. It contains, among others, the Local
Interstellar Cloud and the G-cloud. (The Local
Interstellar Cloud contains our Solar System.) It is
at least 300 light years across and has a neutral-

Local Bubble
Superbubble

hydrogen density of about 0.05 atoms/cm3, or

approximately one tenth of the average for the

ISM in the Milky Way (0.5 atoms/cm3), and one

sixth that of the Local Interstellar Cloud (0.3
atoms/cm3).[3] The hot diffuse gas in the Local
Bubble emits X-rays.

The very sparse, hot gas of the Local Bubble is the

result of supernovae that exploded within the past
ten to twenty million years.[4][5] It was once
thought that the most likely candidate for the
remains of this supernova was Geminga ("Gemini
gamma-ray source"), a pulsar in the constellation
Gemini. More recently, however, it has been
suggested that multiple supernovae in subgroup
B1 of the Pleiades moving group were more likely
responsible,[6] becoming a remnant supershell.[7]

Artist's conception of the Local Bubble (containing

the Sun and Beta Canis Majoris) and the Loop I
Bubble (containing Antares)

Distance
Radius

Observation data

0 ly (0 pc)

Physical characteristics
150 ly

Designations Local Hot Bubble, LHB,[1] Local

Bubble, Local Interstellar Bubble[2]

Contents

1
2
3
4
5
6

Description
Observation
See also
References
Further reading
External links

Description
The Solar System has been traveling through the region currently occupied by the Local Bubble for

the last five to ten million years.[4] Its current location lies in the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC), a
minor region of denser material within the Bubble. The LIC formed where the Local Bubble and the
Loop I Bubble met. The gas within the LIC has a density of approximately 0.1 atoms per cubic
centimeter.

The Local Bubble is not spherical, but seems to be

narrower in the galactic plane, becoming somewhat eggshaped or elliptical, and may widen above and below the
galactic plane, becoming shaped like an hourglass. It
abuts other bubbles of less dense interstellar medium
(ISM), including, in particular, the Loop I Bubble. The
Loop I Bubble was created by supernovae and stellar
winds in the ScorpiusCentaurus Association, some 500
light years from the Sun. The Loop I Bubble contains the
star Antares (also known as Alpha Scorpii), as shown on
the diagram above right. Several tunnels connect the
cavities of the Local Bubble with the Loop I Bubble,
called the "Lupus Tunnel".[8] Other bubbles which are
adjacent to the Local Bubble are the Loop II Bubble and
the Loop III Bubble.

Observation

3D representation of the Local Bubble

(White) with neighbouring Molecular
Clouds (Magenta) and a section of the
Loop I Bubble (Cyan).

Launched in February 2003 and active until April 2008, a small space observatory called Cosmic
Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS or CHIPSat) examined the hot gas within the Local

Bubble.[9] The Local Bubble was also the region of interest for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer
mission (19922001), which examined hot EUV sources within the bubble. Sources beyond the edge
of the bubble were identified, but attenuated by the denser interstellar medium.

See also

Gould Belt
List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs
OrionEridanus Superbubble
Perseus Arm
Superbubble

References

1. Roland J. Egger, Bernd Aschenbach (February 1995). "Interaction of the Loop I supershell with the
Local Hot Bubble". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 294 (2): L25-L28. arXiv:astro-ph/9412086 .
Bibcode:1995A&A...294L..25E.
2. "NAME LOCAL BUBBLE -- Interstellar matter". SIMBAD. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
3. "Our Local Galactic Neighborhood, NASA". Interstellar.jpl.nasa.gov. 2000-02-08. Retrieved
2013-07-23.
4. Local Chimney and Superbubbles (http://www.solstation.com/x-objects/chimney.htm), Solstation.com
5. NASA-funded X-ray Instrument Settles Interstellar Debate (http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasafunded-x-ray-instrument-settles-interstellar-debate/), www.nasa.gov
6. T. W. Berghoefer; D. Breitschwerdt (2002). "The origin of the young stellar population in the solar
neighborhood - a link to the formation of the Local Bubble?". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 390 (1): 299
306. arXiv:astro-ph/0205128v2 . Bibcode:2002A&A...390..299B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20020627.
7. J. R. Gabel, F. C. Bruhweiler (8 January 1998). "[51.09] Model of an Expanding Supershell Structure in
the LISM". American Astronomical Society. Retrieved 2014-03-14.

8. Lallement, R.; Welsh, B. Y.; Vergely, J. L.; Crifo, F.; Sfeir, D. (2003). "3D mapping of the dense
interstellar gas around the Local Bubble". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 411 (3): 447464.
Bibcode:2003A&A...411..447L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20031214.
9. "CHIPS - Berkeley University". Chips.ssl.berkeley.edu. 2003-01-12. Retrieved 2013-07-23.

Further reading

Anderson, Mark (6 January 2007). "Don't stop till you get to the Fluff". New Scientist. 193
(2585): 2630. doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(07)60043-8.
Lallement, R.; Welsh, B. Y.; Vergely, J. L.; Crifo, F.; Sfeir, D. (December 1, 2003). "3D
mapping of the dense interstellar gas around the Local Bubble". Astronomy & Astrophysics.
411 (3): 447464. Bibcode:2003A&A...411..447L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20031214.
"Near-Earth Supernovas". Science@NASA Headline News. NASA. January 6, 2003.
"A Breeze from the Stars". Science@NASA Headline News. NASA. December 17, 2004.

External links

A 3D map of the Milky Way Galaxy and the Orion Arm (http://www.3dgalaxymap.com/)

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Categories: Interstellar media Local Bubble

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