ar X iv : a st ro - p h / 01 12 05 5 v 1 3 D ec 2 00 1 Filaments in the Galactic Center – with special reference to the “ Snake ” Geoffrey

The nonthermal filaments in the Galactic Center constitute one of the great mysteries of this region of the Galaxy. We summarise the observational data on these filaments and critically review the various theories which currently outnumber the observed filaments. We summarise out theory for the longest of these filaments, the Snake, and discuss the relevance of this model for the other filaments in the Galactic Center region. The physics involved in our model for the Snake involves much of the physics that has dominated the career of Professor Don Melrose. In particular, the diffusion of relativistic electrons in the Snake is determined from the theory of resonant scattering by Alfvén waves.