MeerKAT reveals a ghostly thermal radio ring towards the Galactic Centre
/ Authors
C. Bordiu, M. Filipović, G. Umana, W. Cotton, C. Buemi, F. Bufano, F. Camilo, F. Cavallaro, L.Cerrigone, S. Dai
and 41 more authors
A. Hopkins, A. Ingallinera, T. Jarrett, B. Koribalski, S. Lazarević, P. Leto, S.Loru, P. Lundqvist, J. Mackey, R. Norris, J. Payne, G. Rowell, S. Riggi, J. R. Rizzo, A. Ruggeri, S.Shabala, Z. Smeaton, C. Trigilio, V. V. INAF-OACt, Italy, Western Sydney University, Australia, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Usa, Sarao, South Africa, A. Observatory, Chile, Macquarie University, U. C. Town, Csiro, A. Observatory, Serbia, S. University, Sweden, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Ireland, U. Adelaide, Isdefe, Spain., U. Tasmania
/ Abstract
We present the serendipitous discovery of a new radio-continuum ring-like object nicknamed Kýklos (J1802--3353), with MeerKAT UHF and L-band observations. The radio ring, which resembles the recently discovered odd radio circles (ORCs), has a diameter of sim 80 and is located just sim 6$^ from the Galactic plane. However, Kýklos exhibits an atypical thermal radio-continuum spectrum ($ which led us to explore different possible formation scenarios. We concluded that a circumstellar shell around an evolved massive star, possibly a Wolf-Rayet, is the most convincing explanation with the present data.
Journal: Astronomy & Astrophysics