SUZAKU OBSERVATIONS OF THE DIFFUSE X-RAY EMISSION ACROSS THE FERMI BUBBLES' EDGES

We present Suzaku X-ray observations along two edge regions of the Fermi Bubbles, with eight similar or equal to 20 ks pointings across the northern part of the North Polar Spur (NPS) surrounding the north bubble and six across the southernmost edge of the south bubble. After removing compact X-ray features, diffuse X-ray emission is clearly detected and is well reproduced by a three-component spectral model consisting of unabsorbed thermal emission (temperature kT similar or equal to 0.1 keV) from the Local Bubble, absorbed kT similar or equal to 0.3 keV thermal emission related to the NPS and/or Galactic halo (GH), and a power-law component at a level consistent with the cosmic X-ray background. The emission measure (EM) of the 0.3 keV plasma decreases by similar or equal to 50% toward the inner regions of the northeast bubble, with no accompanying temperature change. However, such a jump in the EM is not clearly seen in the south bubble data. While it is unclear whether the NPS originates from a nearby supernova remnant or is related to previous activity within or around the Galactic center, our Suzaku observations provide evidence that suggests the latter scenario. In the latter framework, the presence of a large amount of neutral matter absorbing the X-ray emission as well as the existence of the kT similar or equal to 0.3 keV gas can be naturally interpreted as a weak shock driven by the bubbles' expansion in the surrounding medium, with velocity v(exp) similar or equal to 300 km s(-1) (corresponding to shock Mach number M similar or equal to 1.5), compressing the GH gas to form the NPS feature. We also derived an upper limit for any non-thermal X-ray emission component associated with the bubbles and demonstrate that, in agreement with the aforementioned findings, the non-thermal pressure and energy estimated from a one-zone leptonic model of its broadband spectrum, are in rough equilibrium with that of the surrounding thermal plasma.