演講資訊

摘要：

In 2010, Su, Slatyer, and I used data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to discover a 2-lobed structure extending 8 kpc above and below the Galactic plane (the Fermi Bubbles). The structure has a hard spectrum from 1-100 GeV, and relatively sharp edges, providing possible clues about its origin. Presently, the leading hypotheses involve (1) a burst of star formation at the Galactic center, or (2) AGN activity, though neither idea can explain all aspects of the data. I will review the latest observational data on the bubbles -- and a possible cocoon and jet feature -- and speculate about a path forward.