High resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the local hot gas along the 3C 273 sightline

Abstract

X-ray observations of highly ionized metal absorption lines at z = 0 provide critical information on the hot gas distribution in and around the Milky Way. We present a study of more than 10 yr of Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of 3C 273, one of the brightest extragalactic X-ray sources. Compared with previous works, we obtain much tighter constraints on the physical properties of the X-ray absorber. We also find a large, non-thermal velocity at 100-150 km s-1, the main reason for the higher line equivalent width when compared with other sightlines. Using joint analysis with X-ray emission and ultraviolet observations, we derive a size of 5-15 kpc and a temperature of (1.5-1.8) × 106 K for the X-ray absorber. The 3C 273 sightline passes through a number of Galactic structures, including radio loops I and IV, the North Polar Spur, and the neighborhood of the newly discovered "Fermi bubbles." We argue that the X-ray absorber is unlikely to be associated with the nearby radio loops I and IV; however, the non-thermal velocity can be naturally explained as the result of the expansion of the "Fermi bubbles." Our data imply a shock-expansion velocity of 200-300 km s -1. Our study indicates a likely complex environment for the production of the Galactic X-ray absorbers along different sightlines, and highlights the significance of probing galactic feedback with high resolution X-ray spectroscopy. © 2014. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.