Magnetic Fields In Spiral Galaxies Research Articles

Deciphering the radio–star formation correlation on kpc scales

The relation between the resolved star formation rate (SFR) per unit area and the nonthermal radio continuum emission is studied in 21 Virgo cluster galaxies and the two nearby spiral galaxies, NGC 6946 and M 51. For the interpretation and understanding of our results, we used a 3D model where star formation, 2D cosmic-ray (CR) propagation, and the physics of synchrotron emission are included. Based on the linear correlation between the SFR per unit area and the synchrotron emission and its scatter, radio-bright and radio-dim regions can be robustly defined for our sample of spiral galaxies. We identified CR diffusion or streaming as the physical causes of radio-bright regions of unperturbed symmetric spiral galaxies as NGC 6946. The enhanced magnetic field in the region of interstellar medium (ISM) compression via ram pressure is responsible for the southwestern radio-bright region in NGC 4501. We identified the probable causes of radio-bright regions in several galaxies as CR transport, via either gravitational tides (M 51) or galactic winds (NGC 4532) or ram pressure stripping (NGC 4330 and NGC 4522). Three galaxies are overall radio dim: NGC 4298, NGC 4535, and NGC 4567. Based on our model of synchrotron-emitting disks, we suggest that the overall radio-dim galaxies have a significantly lower magnetic field than expected by equipartition between the magnetic and turbulent energy densities. We suggest that this is linked to the difference between the timescales of the variation in the SFR and the small-scale dynamo. In NGC 4535, shear motions increase the total magnetic field strength via the induction equation, which leads to enhanced synchrotron emission with respect to the SFR in an otherwise radio-dim galactic disk. Radio-bright regions frequently coincide with asymmetric ridges of polarized radio continuum emission, and we found a clear albeit moderate correlation between the polarized radio continuum emission and the radio/SFR ratio. When compression or shear motions of the ISM are present in the galactic disk, the radio-bright regions are linked to the commonly observed asymmetric ridges of polarized radio continuum emission and represent a useful tool for the interaction diagnostics. The magnetic field is enhanced (as observed in NGC 4535 and NGC 4501) and ordered by these ISM compression and shear motions. Whereas the enhancement of the magnetic field is rather modest and does not significantly influence the radio-SFR correlation, the main effect of ISM compression and shear motions is the ordering of the magnetic field, which significantly affects the CR transport. Cosmic-ray energy losses and transport also affect the spectral index, which we measured between 4.85 and 1.4 GHz. The influence of CR losses and transport on the spectral index distribution with respect to the synchrotron/SFR ratio is discussed with the help of model calculations. Based on our results, we propose a scenario for the interplay between star formation, CR electrons, and magnetic fields in spiral galaxies.

The Structure of Magnetic Fields in Spiral Galaxies: A Radio and Far-infrared Polarimetric Analysis

We propose and apply a method to quantify the morphology of the large-scale ordered magnetic fields (B-fields) in galaxies. This method is adapted from the analysis of Event Horizon Telescope polarization data. We compute a linear decomposition of the azimuthal modes of the polarization field in radial galactocentric bins. We apply this approach to five low-inclination spiral galaxies with both far-infrared (FIR: 154 μm) dust polarimetric observations taken from the Survey of Extragalactic Magnetism with SOFIA (SALSA) and radio (6 cm) synchrotron polarization observations. We find that the main contribution to the B-field structure of these spiral galaxies comes from the m = 2 and m = 0 modes at FIR wavelengths and the m = 2 mode at radio wavelengths. The m = 2 mode has a spiral structure and is directly related to the magnetic pitch angle, while m = 0 has a constant B-field orientation. The FIR data tend to have a higher relative contribution from other modes than the radio data. The extreme case is NGC 6946: all modes contribute similarly in the FIR, while m = 2 still dominates in the radio. The average magnetic pitch angle in the FIR data is smaller and has greater angular dispersion than in the radio, indicating that the B-fields in the disk midplane traced by FIR dust polarization are more tightly wound and more chaotic than the B-field structure in the radio, which probes a larger volume. We argue that our approach is more flexible and model independent than standard techniques, while still producing consistent results where directly comparable.

The structure of magnetic fields in spiral galaxies: a radio and far-infrared polarimetric analysis

The structure of magnetic fields in spiral galaxies: a radio and far-infrared polarimetric analysis

The structure of magnetic fields in spiral galaxies: a radio and far-infrared polarimetric analysis

The structure of magnetic fields in spiral galaxies: a radio and far-infrared polarimetric analysis

CHANG-ES

Context. The magnetic field in spiral galaxies is known to have a large-scale spiral structure along the galactic disk and is observed as X-shaped in the halo of some galaxies. While the disk field can be well explained by dynamo action, the three-dimensional structure of the halo field and its physical nature are still unclear. Aims. As first steps towards understanding the halo fields, we want to clarify whether or not the observed X-shaped field is a wide-spread pattern in the halos of spiral galaxies. We also aim to investigate whether these halo fields are simply turbulent fields ordered by compression or shear (anisotropic turbulent fields), or have a large-scale regular structure. Methods. Analysis of the Faraday rotation in the halo is used as a tool to distinguish anisotropic turbulent fields from large-scale magnetic fields. However, this has been challenging until recently because of the faint halo emission in linear polarization. Our sensitive VLA broadband observations in C-band and L-band of 35 spiral galaxies seen edge-on (called CHANG-ES) allowed us to perform rotation measure synthesis (RM synthesis) in their halos and to analyze the results. We further accomplished a stacking of the observed polarization maps of 28 CHANG-ES galaxies in C-band. Results. Though the stacked edge-on galaxies were of different Hubble type, and had differing star formation activity and interaction activity, the stacked image clearly reveals an X-shaped structure of the apparent magnetic field. We detected a large-scale (coherent) halo field in all 16 galaxies that have extended polarized emission in their halos. We detected large-scale field reversals in all of their halos. In six galaxies, these are along lines that are approximately perpendicular to the galactic midplane (vertical RMTL) with about 2 kpc separation. Only in NGC 3044 and possibly in NGC 3448 did we observe vertical giant magnetic ropes (GMR) similar to those detected recently in NGC 4631. Conclusions. The observed X-shaped structure of the halo field seems to be an underlying feature of spiral galaxies. It can be regarded as the two-dimensional projection of the regular magnetic field which we found to have scales of typically 1 kpc or larger observed over several kiloparsecs. The ordered magnetic field extends far out in the halo and beyond. We detected large-scale magnetic field reversals in the halo that may indicate that GMR are more or less tightly wound. With these discoveries, we hope to stimulate model simulations for the halo magnetic field that should also explain the determined asymmetry of the polarized intensity (PI).

CHANG-ES

Context. The observation of total and linearly polarized synchrotron radiation of spiral galaxies in the radio continuum reveals the distribution and structure of their magnetic fields. By observing these, information about the proposed dynamo processes that preserve the large-scale magnetic fields in spiral galaxies can be gained. Additionally, by analyzing the synchrotron intensity, the transport processes of cosmic rays into the halo of edge-on spiral galaxies can be investigated. Aims. We analyze the magnetic field geometry and the transport processes of the cosmic rays of the edge-on spiral starburst galaxy NGC 4666 from CHANG-ES radio data in two frequencies; 6 GHz (C-band) and 1.5 GHz (L-band). Supplementary X-ray data are used to investigate the hot gas in NGC 4666. Methods. We determine the radio scale heights of total power emission at both frequencies for this galaxy. We show the magnetic field orientations derived from the polarization data. Using rotation measure (RM) synthesis we further study the behavior of the RM values along the disk in C-band to investigate the large-scale magnetic-field pattern. We use the revised equipartition formula to calculate a map of the magnetic field strength. Furthermore, we model the processes of cosmic-ray transport into the halo with the 1D SPINNAKER model. Results. The extended radio halo of NGC 4666 is box-shaped and is probably produced by the previously observed supernova-driven superwind. This is supported by our finding of an advective cosmic-ray transport such as that expected for a galactic wind. The scale-height analysis revealed an asymmetric halo above and below the disk as well as between the two sides of the major axis. A central point source as well as a bubble structure is seen in the radio data for the first time. Our X-ray data show a box-shaped hot halo around NGC 4666 and furthermore confirm the AGN nature of the central source. NGC 4666 has a large-scale X-shaped magnetic field in the halo, as has been observed in other edge-on galaxies. The analysis furthermore revealed that the disk of NGC 4666 shows hints of field reversals along its radius, which is the first detection of this phenomenon in an external galaxy.

Radio broad-band visualization of global three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical simulations of spiral galaxies – II. Faraday depolarization from 100 MHz to 10 GHz

Observational study of galactic magnetic fields is limited by projected observables. Comparison with numerical simulations is helpful to understand the real structures, and observational visualization of numerical data is an important task. Machida et al. (2018) have reported Faraday depth maps obtained from numerical simulations. They showed that the relation between azimuthal angle and Faraday depth depends on the inclination angle. In this paper, we investigate 100MHz to 10GHz radio synchrotron emission from spiral galaxies, using the data of global three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic simulations. We model internal and external Faraday depolarization at small scales and assume a frequency independent depolarization. It is found that the internal and external Faraday depolarization becomes comparable inside the disk and the dispersion of Faraday depth becomes about 4rad/m^{2} for face-on view and 40rad/m2 for edge-on view, respectively. The internal depolarization becomes ineffective in the halo. Because of the magnetic turbulence inside the disk, frequency independent depolarization works well and the polarization degree becomes 0.3 at high frequency. When the observed frequency is in the 100 MHz band, polarized intensity vanishes in the disk, while that from the halo can be observed. Because the remaining component of polarized intensity is weak in the halo and the polarization degree is about a few %, it may be difficult to observe that component. These results indicate that the structures of global magnetic fields in spiral galaxies could be elucidated, if broadband polarimetry such as that with the Square Kilometre Array is achieved.

Global enhancement and structure formation of the magnetic field in spiral galaxies

In this paper we study numerically large-scale magnetic field evolution and its enhancement in gaseous disks of spiral galaxies. We consider a set of models with the various spiral pattern parameters and the initial magnetic field strength with taking into account gas self-gravity and cooling and heating processes. In agreement with previous studies we find out that galactic magnetic field is mostly aligned with gaseous structures, however small-scale gaseous structures (spurs and clumps) are more chaotic than the magnetic field structure. In spiral arms magnetic field often coexists with the gas distribution, in the inter-arm region we see filamentary magnetic field structure. These filaments connect several isolated gaseous clumps. Simulations reveal the presence of the small-scale irregularities of the magnetic field as well as the reversal of magnetic field at the outer edge of the large-scale spurs. We provide evidences that the magnetic field in the spiral arms has a stronger mean-field component, and there is a clear inverse correlation between gas density and plasma-beta parameter, compared to the rest of the disk with a more turbulent component of the field and an absence of correlation between gas density and plasma-beta. We show the mean field growth up to 3−10 μG in the cold gas during several rotation periods (500−800 Myr), whereas ratio between azimuthal and radial field is equal to 4/1. We find an enhancement of random and ordered components of the magnetic field. Mean field strength increases by a factor of 1.5−2.5 for models with various spiral pattern parameters. Random magnetic field component can reach up to 25% from the total strength. By making an analysis of the time-dependent evolution of the radial Poynting flux, we point out that the magnetic field strength is enhanced more strongly at the galactic outskirts which is due to the radial transfer of magnetic energy by the spiral arms pushing the magnetic field outward. Our results also support the presence of sufficient conditions for the development of magnetorotational instability at distances >11 kpc after 300 Myr of evolution.

MAGNETIC FLUX DENSITY FROM THE RELATIVE CIRCULAR MOTION OF STARS AND PARTIALLY IONIZED GAS IN THE GALAXY MID-PLANE VICINITY

ABSTRACT Observations suggest a slower stellar rotation relative to gas rotation in the outer part of the Milky Way Galaxy. This difference could be attributed to an interaction with the interstellar magnetic field. In a simple model, fields of order are then required, consistently with the observed values. This coincidence suggests a tool for estimating magnetic fields in spiral galaxies. A north–south asymmetry in the rotation of gas in the Galaxy could be of magnetic origin too.

STATISTICAL TESTS OF GALACTIC DYNAMO THEORY

ABSTRACT Mean-field galactic dynamo theory is the leading theory to explain the prevalence of regular magnetic fields in spiral galaxies, but its systematic comparison with observations is still incomplete and fragmentary. Here we compare predictions of mean-field dynamo models to observational data on magnetic pitch angle and the strength of the mean magnetic field. We demonstrate that a standard dynamo model produces pitch angles of the regular magnetic fields of nearby galaxies that are reasonably consistent with available data. The dynamo estimates of the magnetic field strength are generally within a factor of a few of the observational values. Reasonable agreement between theoretical and observed pitch angles generally requires the turbulent correlation time τ to be in the range of 10– , in agreement with standard estimates. Moreover, good agreement also requires that the ratio of the ionized gas scale height to root-mean-square turbulent velocity increases with radius. Our results thus widen the possibilities to constrain interstellar medium parameters using observations of magnetic fields. This work is a step toward systematic statistical tests of galactic dynamo theory. Such studies are becoming more and more feasible as larger data sets are acquired using current and up-and-coming instruments.

Erratum to: Magnetic fields in spiral galaxies

Erratum to: Magnetic fields in spiral galaxies

Dynamo saturation in direct simulations of the multi‐phase turbulent interstellar medium

AbstractThe ordered magnetic field observed via polarised synchrotron emission in nearby disc galaxies can be explained by a mean‐field dynamo operating in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). Additionally, vertical‐flux initial conditions are potentially able to influence this dynamo via the occurrence of the magnetorotational instability (MRI). We aim to study the influence of various initial field configurations on the saturated state of the mean‐field dynamo. This is motivated by the observation that different saturation behaviour was previously obtained for different supernova rates. We perform direct numerical simulations (DNS) of three‐dimensional local boxes of the vertically stratified, turbulent interstellar medium, employing shearing‐periodic boundary conditions horizontally. Unlike in our previous work, we also impose a vertical seed magnetic field. We run the simulations until the growth of the magnetic energy becomes negligible. We furthermore perform simulations of equivalent 1D dynamo models, with an algebraic quenching mechanism for the dynamo coefficients. We compare the saturation of the magnetic field in the DNS with the algebraic quenching of a mean‐field dynamo. The final magnetic field strength found in the direct simulation is in excellent agreement with a quenched α) dynamo. For supernova rates representative of the Milky Way, field losses via a Galactic wind are likely responsible for saturation. We conclude that the relative strength of the turbulent and regular magnetic fields in spiral galaxies may depend on the galaxy's star formation rate. We propose that a mean field approach with algebraic quenching may serve as a simple sub‐grid scale model for galaxy evolution simulations including a prescribed feedback from magnetic fields. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

MAGNETIC FIELDS IN COSMOLOGICAL SIMULATIONS OF DISK GALAXIES

Observationally, magnetic fields reach equipartition with thermal energy and cosmic rays in the interstellar medium of disk galaxies such as the Milky Way. However, thus far cosmological simulations of the formation and evolution of galaxies have usually neglected magnetic fields. We employ the moving-mesh code \textsc{Arepo} to follow for the first time the formation and evolution of a Milky Way-like disk galaxy in its full cosmological context while taking into account magnetic fields. We find that a prescribed tiny magnetic seed field grows exponentially by a small-scale dynamo until it saturates around $z=4$ with a magnetic energy of about $10\%$ of the kinetic energy in the center of the galaxy's main progenitor halo. By $z=2$, a well-defined gaseous disk forms in which the magnetic field is further amplified by differential rotation, until it saturates at an average field strength of $\sim 6 \mug$ in the disk plane. In this phase, the magnetic field is transformed from a chaotic small-scale field to an ordered large-scale field coherent on scales comparable to the disk radius. The final magnetic field strength, its radial profile and the stellar structure of the disk compare well with observational data. A minor merger temporarily increases the magnetic field strength by about a factor of two, before it quickly decays back to its saturation value. Our results are highly insensitive to the initial seed field strength and suggest that the large-scale magnetic field in spiral galaxies can be explained as a result of the cosmic structure formation process.

The relation between magnetic and material arms in models for spiral galaxies

Context. Observations of polarized radio emission show that large-scale (regular) magnetic fields in spiral galaxies are not axisymmetric, but generally stronger in interarm regions. In some nearby galaxies such as NGC 6946 they are organized in narrow magnetic arms situated between the material spiral arms. Aims. The phenomenon of magnetic arms and their relation to the optical spiral arms (the material arms) call for an explanation in the framework of galactic dynamo theory. Several possibilities have been suggested but are not completely satisfactory; here we attempt a consistent investigation. Methods. We use a 2D mean-field dynamo model in the no-z approximation and add injections of small-scale magnetic field, taken to result from supernova explosions, to represent the effects of dynamo action on smaller scales. This injection of small scale field is situated along the spiral arms, where star-formation mostly occurs. Results. A straightforward explanation of magnetic arms as a result of modulation of the dynamo mechanism by material arms struggles to produce pronounced magnetic arms, at least with realistic parameters, without introducing new effects such as a time lag between Coriolis force and {\alpha}-effect. In contrast, by taking into account explicitly the small-scale magnetic field that is injected into the arms by the action of the star forming regions that are concentrated there, we can obtain dynamo models with magnetic structures of various forms that can be compared with magnetic arms. (abbrev). Conclusions. We conclude that magnetic arms can be considered as coherent magnetic structures generated by large-scale dynamo action, and associated with spatially modulated small-scale magnetic fluctuations, caused by enhanced star formation rates within the material arms.

Star formation rate and magnetic fields in spiral galaxies

We have constructed a dynamo model for the magnetic field in spiral galaxies that takes into account the differences in star formation rates in different galaxies. The difficulty in constructing the model is that the star formation rate does not enter directly into the equations of magnetohydrodynamics, which include only the root-mean-square velocity of the interstellar gas, its density, and the half-thickness of the ionized gas disk. We propose a parametrization of these quantities that relates them to the star formation rate and investigate our model in terms of the so-called no-z approximation, which neglects the details of the magnetic field structure in a direction perpendicular to the galactic disk. The influence of the star formation rate on the galactic dynamo is a threshold one. This influence is small at moderate star formation rates and significant only at very high star formation rates. If the starburst intensity reaches some critical level (exceeding that in the Milky Way by an order of magnitude), then the large-scale magnetic field is destroyed and it is restored only after completion of the starburst. We provide a list of galaxies that exhibit a fairly high star formation rate and that can be interesting to study their magnetic fields.

Magnetic fields in our Milky Way Galaxy and nearby galaxies

AbstractMagnetic fields in our Galaxy and nearby galaxies have been revealed by starlight polarization, polarized emission from dust grains and clouds at millimeter and submillimeter wavelength, the Zeeman effect of spectral lines or maser lines from clouds or clumps, diffuse radio synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons in interstellar magnetic fields, and the Faraday rotation of background radio sources as well as pulsars for our Milky Way. It is easy to get a global structure for magnetic fields in nearby galaxies, while we have observed many details of magnetic fields in our Milky Way, especially by using pulsar rotation measure data. In general, magnetic fields in spiral galaxies probably have a large-scale structure. The fields follow the spiral arms with or without the field direction reversals. In the halo of spiral galaxies magnetic fields exist and probably also have a large-scale structure as toroidal and poloidal fields, but seem to be slightly weaker than those in the disk. In the central region of some galaxies, poloidal fields have been detected as vertical components. Magnetic field directions in galaxies seem to have been preserved during cloud formation and star formation, from large-scale diffuse interstellar medium to molecular clouds and then to the cloud cores in star formation regions or clumps for the maser spots. Magnetic fields in galaxies are passive to dynamics.

The large scale magnetic field structure of the spiral galaxy NGC 5775

In order to better determine the large-scale 3D-structure of magnetic fields in spiral galaxies we present a Faraday rotation analysis of the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 5775. Deep radio-continuum observations in total power and linear polarization were performed at 8.46 GHz with the VLA and the 100-m Effelsberg telescope. They were analyzed together with archival 4.86 and 1.49 GHz VLA-data. We thus can derive rotation measures from a comparison of three frequencies and determine the intrinsic magnetic field structure. A very extended halo is detected in NGC 5775, with magnetic field lines forming an X-shaped structure. Close to the galactic disk the magnetic field is plane-parallel. The scaleheights of the radio emission esimated for NGC 5775 are comaprable with other galaxies. The rotation measure distribution varies smoothly on both sides along the major axis from positive to negative values. From the derived distribution of rotation measures and the plane-parallel intrinsic magnetic field orientation along the galactic midplane we conclude that NGC 5775 has an 'even axisymmetric' large-scale magnetic field configuration in the disk as generated by an \alpha \Omega -dynamo which is accompanied by a quadrupolar poloidal field. The magnetic field lines of the plane-parallel component are pointing 'outwards'. The observed X-shaped halo magnetic field, however, cannot be explained by the action of the disk's mean-field dynamo alone. It is probably due to the influence of the galactic wind together with the dynamo action.

Magnetised winds in dwarf galaxies

The origin and the magnitude of the inter-galactic magnetic field is of primordial importance in the global picture of magnetic field evolution, as it is considered to be the missing link between galactic magnetic fields and cluster magnetic fields on much larger scales. We are testing whether dwarf galaxies are good candidates to explain the enrichment of the IGM: after their discs form and trigger galactic dynamos, supernova feedback will launch strong winds, expelling magnetic field lines in the IGM. We have performed MHD simulations of an isolated dwarf galaxy, forming self-consistently inside a cooling halo. Using the RAMSES code, we have for the first time simulated the formation of a magnetised supernova-driven galactic outflow. This simulation is an important step towards a more realistic modelling using fully cosmological simulations. Our simulations reproduce well the observed properties of magnetic fields in spiral galaxies. The formation and the evolution of our simulated disc lead to a strong magnetic field amplification: the magnetic field in the final wind bubble is one order of magnitude larger than the initial value. The magnetic field in the disc, essentially toroidal, is growing linearly with time as a consequence of differential rotation. We discuss the consequence of this simple mechanism on the cosmic evolution of the magnetic field: we propose a new scenario for the evolution of the magnetic field, with dwarf galaxies playing a key role in amplifying and ejecting magnetic energy in the IGM, resulting in what we call a "Cosmic Dynamo" that could contribute to the rather high field strengths observed in galaxies and clusters today.

The Primordial Origin Model of Magnetic Fields in Spiral Galaxies

We propose a primordial-origin model for composite configurations of global magnetic fields in spiral galaxies. We show that a uniform tilted magnetic field wound up into a rotating disk galaxy can evolve into composite magnetic configurations comprising bisymmetric spiral (S $=$ BSS), axisymmetric spiral (A $=$ ASS), plane-reversed spiral (PR), and/or ring (R) fields in the disk, and vertical (V) fields in the center. By MHD simulations we show that these composite galactic fields are indeed created from a weak primordial uniform field, and that different configurations can co-exist in the same galaxy. We show that spiral fields trigger the growth of two-armed gaseous arms. The centrally accumulated vertical fields are twisted and produce a jet toward the halo. We found that the more vertical was the initial uniform field, the stronger was the formed magnetic field in the galactic disk.

Galactic dynamos and galactic winds

Spiral galaxies host dynamically important magnetic fields which can affect gas flows in the disks and halos. Total magnetic fields in spiral galaxies are strongest (up to 30 μG) in the spiral arms where they are mostly turbulent or tangled. Polarized synchrotron emission shows that the resolved regular fields are generally strongest in the interarm regions (up to 15 μG). Faraday rotation measures of radio polarization vectors in the disks of several spiral galaxies reveal large-scale patterns which are signatures of coherent fields generated by a mean-field dynamo. Magnetic fields are also observed in radio halos around edge-on galaxies at heights of a few kpc above the disk. Cosmic-ray driven galactic winds transport gas and magnetic fields from the disk into the halo. The halo scale height and the electron lifetime allow to estimate the wind speed. The magnetic energy density is larger than the thermal energy density, but smaller than the kinetic energy density of the outflow. There is no observation yet of a halo with a large-scale coherent dynamo pattern. A global wind outflow may prevent the operation of a dynamo in the halo. Halo regions with high degrees of radio polarization at very large distances from the disk are excellent tracers of interaction between galaxies or ram pressure of the intergalactic medium. The observed extent of radio halos is limited by energy losses of the cosmic-ray electrons. Future low-frequency radio telescopes like LOFAR and the SKA will allow to trace halo outflows and their interaction with the intergalactic medium to much larger distances.