Star Magnetic Field Research Articles

Resilience of helical fields to turbulent diffusion – II. Direct numerical simulations

The recent study of Blackman and Subramanian (Paper I) indicates that large scale helical magnetic fields are resilient to turbulent diffusion in the sense that helical fields stronger than a critical value, decay on slow (~resistively mediated), rather than fast ($\sim$ turbulent) time scales. This gives more credence to potential fossil field origin models of the magnetic fields in stars, galaxies and compact objects. We analyze a suite of direct numerical simulations (DNS) of decaying large scale helical magnetic fields in the presence of non-helical turbulence to further study the physics of helical field decay. We study two separate cases: (1) the initial field is large enough to decay resistively, is tracked until it transitions to decay fast, and the critical large scale helical field at that transition is sought; (2) the case of Paper I, wherein there is a critical initial helical field strength below which the field undergoes fast decay right from the beginning. In case (1), both DNS and solutions of the two scale model (from Paper 1), reveal that the transition energy, $E_{c1}$, is independent of the scale of the turbulent forcing, within a small range of $\Rm$. We also find that the kinetic alpha, $\alpha_K$, is subdominant to magnetic alpha, $\alpha_M$, in the DNS, justifying an assumption in the two scale model. For case (2), we show exact solutions of two scale model in the limit of $\eta \rightarrow 0$ in fully helical case, leading to the transition energy, $E_{c2} = (k_1/\kf)^2 M_{eq}$, where $k_1$ and $\kf$ are the large scale and small turbulent forcing scale respectively and $M_{eq}$ is the equipartition magnetic energy. The DNS in this case agree qualitatively with the two scale model but the $R_M$ currently achievable, is too small to satisfy a condition $3/R_M << (k_1/k_f)^2$, necessary to robustly reveal the transition, $E_{c2}$ (Abridged).

Accretion geometry in the persistent Be/X-ray binary RXJ0440.9+4431

The persistent Be/X-ray binary RXJ0440.9+4431 flared in 2010 and 2011 and has been followed by various X-ray facilities (Swift , RXTE , XMM-Newton , and INTEGRAL ). We studied the source timing and spectral properties as a function of its X-ray luminosity to investigate the transition from normal to flaring activity. The source spectrum can always be described by a bulk-motion Comptonization model of black body seed photons attenuated by a moderate photoelectric absorption. At the highest luminosity, we measured a curvature of the spectrum, which we attribute to a significant contribution of the radiation pressure in the accretion process. This allows us to estimate that the transition from a bulk-motion-dominated flow to a radiatively dominated one happens at a luminosity of ~ 2 × 1036 erg s−1 . The luminosity dependency of the size of the black body emission region is found to be r BB ∝ LX 0.39±0.02 . This suggests that either matter accreting onto the neutron star hosted in RXJ0440.9+4431 penetrates through closed magnetic field lines at the border of the compact object magnetosphere or that the size of the black-body emitting hotspot is larger than the footprint of the accretion column. This phenomenon can be due to illumination of the surface by a growing column or by a a structure of the neutron star magnetic field more complicated than a simple dipole at least close to the surface.

The nature and origin of magnetic fields in early-type stars

AbstractI review our current knowledge of magnetic fields in stars more massive than around 1.5 M⊙, in particular their nature and origin. This includes the strong magnetic fields found in a subset of the population and the fossil field theory invoked to explain them; the subgauss fields detected in Vega and Sirius and their possible origin; and what we can infer about magnetic activity in massive stars and how it might be linked to subsurface convection.

Magnetic Fields in Stars: Origin and Impact

AbstractVarious types of magnetic fields occur in stars: small scale fields, large scale fields, and internal toroidal fields. While the latter may be ubiquitous in stars due to differential rotation, small scale fields (spots) may be associated with envelop convection in all low and high mass stars. The stable large scale fields found in only about 10% of intermediate mass and massive stars may be understood as a consequence of dynamical binary interaction, e.g., the merging of two stars in a binary. We relate these ideas to magnetic fields in white dwarfs and neutron stars, and to their role in core-collapse and thermonuclear supernova explosions.

Modeling surface magnetic fields in stars with radiative envelopes

AbstractStars with radiative envelopes, specifically the upper main sequence chemically peculiar (Ap) stars, were among the first objects outside our solar system for which surface magnetic fields have been detected. Currently magnetic Ap stars remains the only class of stars for which high-resolution measurements of both linear and circular polarization in individual spectral lines are feasible. Consequently, these stars provide unique opportunities to study the physics of polarized radiative transfer in stellar atmospheres, to analyze in detail stellar magnetic field topologies and their relation to starspots, and to test different methodologies of stellar magnetic field mapping. Here I present an overview of different approaches to modeling the surface fields in magnetic A- and B-type stars. In particular, I summarize the ongoing efforts to interpret high-resolution full Stokes vector spectra of these stars using magnetic Doppler imaging. These studies reveal an unexpected complexity of the magnetic field geometries in some Ap stars.

A new interpretation of the far-infrared – radio correlation and the expected breakdown at high redshift

(Abrigded) Observations of galaxies up to z 2 show a tight correlation between far-infrared and radio continuum emission. We explain the far-infrared - radio continuum correlation by relating star formation and magnetic field strength in terms of turbulent magnetic field amplification, where turbulence is injected by supernova explosions from massive stars. We calculate the expected amount of turbulence in galaxies based on their star formation rates, and infer the expected magnetic field strength due to turbulent dynamo amplification. We estimate the timescales for cosmic ray energy losses via synchrotron emission, inverse Compton scattering, ionization and bremsstrahlung emission, probing up to which redshift strong synchrotron emission can be maintained. We find that the correlation between star formation rate and magnetic field strength in the local Universe can be understood as a result of turbulent magnetic field amplification. If the typical gas density in the interstellar medium increases at high z, we expect an increase of the magnetic field strength and the radio emission, as indicated by current observations. Such an increase would imply a modification of the far-infrared - radio correlation. We expect a breakdown when inverse Compton losses start dominating over synchrotron emission. For a given star formation surface density, we calculate the redshift where the breakdown occurs, yielding z (Sigma_SFR/0.0045 M_solar kpc^{-2} yr^{-1})^{1/(6-alpha/2)}. In this relation, the parameter \alpha describes the evolution of the characteristic ISM density in galaxies as (1+z)^\alpha. Both the possible raise of the radio emission at high redshift and the final breakdown of the far-infrared -- radio correlation at a critical redshift will be probed by the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and its pathfinders, while the typical ISM density in galaxies will be probed with ALMA.

The role of magnetic fields in pre-main sequence stars

AbstractStrong, kilo-Gauss, magnetic fields are required to explain a range of observational properties in young, accreting pre-main sequence (PMS) systems. We review the techniques used to detect magnetic fields in PMS stars. Key results from a long running campaign aimed at characterising the large scale magnetic fields in accreting T Tauri stars are presented. Maps of surface magnetic flux in these systems can be used to build 3-D models exploring the role of magnetic fields and the efficiency with which magnetic fields can channel accretion from circumstellar disks on to young stars. Long-term variability in T Tauri star magnetic fields strongly point to a dynamo origin of the magnetic fields. Studies are underway to quantify how changes in magnetic fields affect their accretion properties. We also present the first results from a new programme that investigates the evolution of magnetic fields in intermediate mass (1.5–3M⊙) pre-main sequence stars as they evolve from being convective T Tauri stars to fully radiative Herbig AeBe stars.

Seismic constraints on rotation of Sun-like star and mass of exoplanet

Rotation is thought to drive cyclic magnetic activity in the Sun and Sun-like stars. Stellar dynamos, however, are poorly understood owing to the scarcity of observations of rotation and magnetic fields in stars. Here, inferences are drawn on the internal rotation of a distant Sun-like star by studying its global modes of oscillation. We report asteroseismic constraints imposed on the rotation rate and the inclination of the spin axis of the Sun-like star HD 52265, a principal target observed by the CoRoT satellite that is known to host a planetary companion. These seismic inferences are remarkably consistent with an independent spectroscopic observation (rotational line broadening) and with the observed rotation period of star spots. Furthermore, asteroseismology constrains the mass of exoplanet HD 52265b. Under the standard assumption that the stellar spin axis and the axis of the planetary orbit coincide, the minimum spectroscopic mass of the planet can be converted into a true mass of 1.85(-0.42)(+0.52)M(Jupiter), which implies that it is a planet, not a brown dwarf.

Magnetic field structure in single late-type giants:βCeti in 2010–2012

The data were obtained using two spectropolarimeters - Narval at the Bernard Lyot Telescope, Pic du Midi, France, and ESPaDOnS at CFHT, Hawaii. Thirty-eight circularly-polarized spectra have been collected in the period June 2010 - January 2012. The Least Square Deconvolution method was applied for extracting high signal-to-noise ratio line profiles, from which we measure the surface-averaged longitudinal magnetic field Bl. Chromospheric activity indicators CaII K, H_alpha, CaII IR (854.2 nm) and radial velocity were simultaneously measured and their variability was analysed together with the behavior of Bl. The Zeeman Doppler Imaging (ZDI) inversion technique was employed for reconstruction of the large-scale magnetic field and two magnetic maps of Beta Ceti are presented for two periods (June 2010 - December 2010 and June 2011 - January 2012). Bl remains of positive polarity for the whole observational period. The behavior of the line activity indicators is in good agreement with the Bl variations. The two ZDI maps show a mainly axisymmetric and poloidal magnetic topology and a simple surface magnetic field configuration dominated by a dipole. Little evolution is observed between the two maps, in spite of a 1 yr interval between both subsets. We also use state-of-the-art stellar evolution models to constrain the evolutionary status of Beta Ceti. We derive a mass of 3.5 M_sun and propose that this star is already in the central-helium burning phase. Taking into account all our results and the evolutionary status of the star, we suggest that dynamo action alone may not be eficient enough to account for the high magnetic activity of Beta Ceti. As an alternate option, we propose that it may be an Ap star descendant presently undergoing central helium-burning and still exhibiting a remnant of the Ap star magnetic field.

Magnetic fields of spherical compact stars in modified theories of gravity:f(R)type gravity and Hořava-Lifshitz gravity

The stellar magnetic field configuration and solutions of Maxwell equations in the external background spacetime of a magnetized spherical stars in the Ho\ifmmode \check{r}\else \v{r}\fi{}ava-Lifshitz gravity and in modified $f(R)$ gravity are studied. The star is modeled as a sphere consisting of perfect highly magnetized fluid with infinite conductivity and frozen-in magnetic field. With respect to solutions for magnetic fields found in the Schwarzschild spacetime star in modified gravity theories, enhancing corrections are added to the exterior magnetic field. The energy losses through magnetodipolar radiation of the rotating magnetized compact star within alternative gravity theories is also considered. The question of whether these models can be considered as an alternative theory for general relativity is also discussed through astrophysical application of the obtained magnetodipolar energy loss formula. Finally we analyze the role of general relativistic effect on the decay of a neutron star's magnetic field in modified theories of gravity.

Can the dark matter halo be a collisionless ensemble of axion stars?

If dark matter is mainly composed of axions, the density distribution can be nonuniformly distributed, being clumpy instead. By solving the Einstein-Klein-Gordon system of a scalar field with the potential energy density of an axionlike particle, we obtain the maximum mass of the self-gravitating system made of axions, called axion stars. The collision of axion stars with neutron stars may release the energy of axions due to the conversion of axions into photons in the presence of the neutron star's magnetic field. We estimate the energy release and show that it should be much less than previous estimates [A. Iwazaki, Phys. Lett. B 486, 147 (2000); Phys. Rev. D 60, 025001 (1999)]. Future data from femtolensing should strongly constrain this scenario.

RX J0440.9 + 4431: a persistent Be/X-ray binary in outburst

The persistent Be/X-ray binary RX J0440.9+4431 flared in 2010 and 2011 and has been followed by various X-ray facilities Swift, RXTE, XMM-Newton, and INTEGRAL. We studied the source timing and spectral properties as a function of its X-ray luminosity to investigate the transition from normal to flaring activity and the dynamical properties of the system. We have determined the orbital period from the long-term Swift/BAT light curve, but our determinations of the spin period are not precise enough to constrain any orbital solution. The source spectrum can always be described by a bulk-motion Comptonization model of black body seed photons attenuated by a moderate photoelectric absorption. At the highest luminosity, we measured a curvature of the spectrum, which we attribute to a significant contribution of the radiation pressure in the accretion process. This allows us to estimate that the transition from a bulk-motion-dominated flow to a radiatively dominated one happens at a luminosity of ~2e36 erg/s. The luminosity dependency of the size of the black body emission region is found to be $r_{BB} \propto L_X^{0.39\pm0.02}$. This suggests that either matter accreting onto the neutron star hosted in RX J0440.9+4431 penetrates through closed magnetic field lines at the border of the compact object magnetosphere or that the structure of the neutron star magnetic field is more complicated than a simple dipole close to the surface

Simplified Picture of Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries Based on Data from Aquila X-1 and 4U 1608–52

We propose a simplified picture of low-mass X-ray binaries containing a neutron star (NS-LMXBs) based on data obtained from Aql X-1 and 4U 1608$-$ 52, which often produce outbursts. In this picture we propose at least three states and three state transitions: i.e., the states: (1) soft state, (2) hard-high state, and (3) hard-low state, and the state transitions: (i) hard-high state to soft state, (ii) soft state to hard-high state, and (iii) hard-high state to hard-low state or vice versa. Gases from the accretion disc of an NS-LMXB penetrate almost the entire magnetic field and accrete onto the neutron star in cases (1) and (2), whereas in case (3) some gases accrete around the magnetic poles in a manner resembling the behavior of an X-ray pulsar, and considerable gas is dispersed or ejected by the propeller effect. Transition (iii) occurs when the Alfvén radius is equal to the co-rotation radius. Therefore, in this case it is possible to estimate the strength of the neutron star's magnetic field by detecting transition (iii). We also discuss the no-accretion X-ray state or the recycled pulsar state, in which the Alfvén radius is larger than the light cylinder radius.

A detailed study of the radio-FIR correlation in NGC 6946 withHerschel-PACS/SPIRE from KINGFISH

We derive the distribution of the synchrotron spectral index across NGC6946 and investigate the correlation between the radio continuum (synchrotron) and far-infrared (FIR) emission using the KINGFISH Herschel PACS and SPIRE data. The radio--FIR correlation is studied as a function of star formation rate, magnetic field strength, radiation field strength, and the total gas surface brightness. The synchrotron emission follows both star-forming regions and the so-called magnetic arms present in the inter-arm regions. The synchrotron spectral index is steepest along the magnetic arms ($\alpha_n \sim 1$), while it is flat in places of giant H{\sc ii} regions and in the center of the galaxy ($\alpha_n \sim 0.6-0.7$). The map of $\alpha_n$ provides an observational evidence for aging and energy loss of cosmic ray electrons propagating in the disk of the galaxy. Variations in the synchrotron--FIR correlation across the galaxy are shown to be a function of both star formation and magnetic fields. We find that the synchrotron emission correlates better with cold rather than with warm dust emission, when the interstellar radiation field is the main heating source of dust. The synchrotron--FIR correlation suggests a coupling between the magnetic field and the gas density. NGC6946 shows a power-law behavior between the total (turbulent) magnetic field strength B and the star formation rate surface density $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$ with an index of 0.14\,(0.16)$\pm$0.01. This indicates an efficient production of the turbulent magnetic field with the increasing gas turbulence expected in actively star forming regions. The scale-by-scale analysis of the synchrotron--FIR correlation indicates that the ISM affects the propagation of old/diffused cosmic ray electrons, resulting in a diffusion coefficient of $D_0=4.6\times 10^{28}$\,cm$^2$\,s$^{-1}$ for 2.2\,GeV CREs.

Magnetic fields in superconducting neutron stars.

The interior of a neutron star is likely to be predominantly a mixture of superfluid neutrons and superconducting protons. This results in the quantization of the star's magnetic field into an array of thin flux tubes, producing a macroscopic force very different from the Lorentz force of normal matter. We show that in an axisymmetric superconducting equilibrium the behavior of a magnetic field is governed by a single differential equation. Solving this, we present the first self-consistent superconducting neutron star equilibria with poloidal and mixed poloidal-toroidal fields and also give the first quantitative results for the corresponding magnetically induced distortions to the star. The poloidal component is dominant in all our configurations. We suggest that the transition from normal to superconducting matter in a young neutron star may cause a large-scale field rearrangement.

Magnetic field topology of the RS CVn star II Pegasi

The dynamo processes in cool active stars generate complex magnetic fields responsible for prominent surface stellar activity and variability at different time scales. For a small number of cool stars magnetic field topologies were reconstructed from the time series of spectropolarimetric observations using the Zeeman Doppler imaging (ZDI) method. In this study we follow a long-term evolution of the magnetic field topology of the RS CVn binary star II Peg. We collected high-resolution circular polarisation observations of II Peg using the SOFIN spectropolarimeter at the Nordic Optical Telescope. These data cover 12 epochs spread over 7 years. A multi-line diagnostic technique in combination with a new ZDI code is applied to interpret these observations. Magnetic inversions using these data reveals evolving magnetic fields with typical local strengths of 0.5-1.0 kG and complex topologies. Despite using a self-consistent magnetic and temperature mapping technique, we do not find a clear correlation between magnetic and temperature features in the ZDI maps. Neither do we confirm the presence of persistent azimuthal field rings found in other RS CVn stars. Reconstruction of the magnetic field topology of II Peg reveals significant evolution of both the surface magnetic field structure and the extended magnetospheric field geometry. From 2004 to 2010 the total field energy drastically declined and the field became less axisymmetric. This also coincided with the transition from predominantly poloidal to mainly toroidal field topology. A qualitative comparison of the ZDI maps of II Peg with the prediction of dynamo theory suggests that the magnetic field in this star is produced mainly by the turbulent alpha^2 dynamo rather than the solar alphaOmega dynamo. Our results do not show a clear active longitude system, nor is there an evidence of the presence of an azimuthal dynamo wave.

Nonlinear simulations explaining Ap star magnetic fields by instability remnants

The question of the origin of magnetic fields of Ap/Bp stars is still regarded as an interesting puzzle of stellar astrophysics. We investigate the possibility that the randomness and relative complexity of these fields are remnants of a magnetic instability. In the studied scenario it is assumed a priori that the surface of an Ap star is slowed down in its early evolutionary stage more than its analogous A star. This leads to a significant differential rotation in its interior, making it possible to generate a strong toroidal magnetic field in the radiative zone. Under such circumstances the kink-type Tayler instability is likely to set in. The presented numerical simulations in a compressible, spherical domain show that the instability can produce large surface magnetic fields, even of the order of 0.01−1 of the internal toroidal component (depending on the setup). The resulting magnetic fields can then serve as “initial conditions” evolving into a stable magnetic configuration (however, the matter of long-term stability is not addressed here). This theory naturally supports the fact that Ap stars rotate typically slower than normal A stars (the Tayler instability is suppressed when rotation is too fast), it also qualitatively explains the dependence of the apparent obliquity of the main magnetic axis on the rotation period, as well as the existence of the minimum field threshold (no Ap stars have been observed with fields weaker than ≈10 2 G). Given that the generation of the initial differential rotation and initial poloidal fields are not discussed here, the results have a speculative nature and can be viewed as a possible step toward a full understanding of Ap star magnetism.

The accretion flow to the intermittent accreting millisecond pulsar, HETE J1900.1−2455, as observed by XMM–Newton and RXTE

We present a study of the accretion flow to the intermittent accreting millisecond pulsar, HETE J1900.1-2455, based on observations performed simultaneously by XMM-Newton and RXTE. The 0.33-50 keV spectrum is described by the sum of a hard Comptonized component originated in an optically thin {\tau}~1 corona, a soft kTin~0.2 keV component interpreted as accretion disc emission, and of disc reflection of the hard component. Two emission features are detected at energies of 0.98(1) and 6.58(7) keV, respectively. The latter is identified as K{\alpha} transition of Fe XXIII-XXV. A simultaneous detection in EPIC-pn, EPIC-MOS2, and RGS spectra favours an astrophysical origin also for the former, which has an energy compatible with Fe-L{\alpha} and helium-like Ne-K{\alpha} transitions. Broadness of the two features suggests a common origin, resulting from reflection in an accretion disc with inclination of (30+4{\deg}), and extending down to Rin=25(+16,-11) gravitational radii from the compact object. However, the strength of the feature at lower energy measured by EPIC-pn cannot be entirely reconciled with the amplitude of the Fe K{\alpha} line, hampering the possibility of describing it in terms of a broad-band reflection model, and preventing a firm identification. Pulsations at the 377.3 Hz spin frequency could not be detected, with an upper limit of 0.4% at 3-{\sigma} c.l. on the fractional amplitude. We interpret the inner disc radius estimated from spectral modelling and the lack of significant detection of coherent X-ray pulsations as an indication of a disc accretion flow truncated by some mechanism connected to the overall evolution of the accretion disc, rather than by the neutron star magnetic field. This is compatible with the extremely close similarity of spectral and temporal properties of this source with respect to other, non pulsing atoll sources in the hard state.

COULD SXP 1062 BE AN ACCRETING MAGNETAR?

In this work we explore the possible evolutionary track of the neutron star in the newly discovered Be/X-ray binary SXP 1062, which is believed to be the first X-ray pulsar associated with a supernova remnant. Although no cyclotron feature has been detected to indicate the strength of the neutron star's magnetic field, we show that it may be ≳ 1014 G. If so, SXP 1062 may belong to the accreting magnetars in binary systems. We attempt to reconcile the short age and long spin period of the pulsar taking account of different initial parameters and spin-down mechanisms of the neutron star. Our calculated results show that to spin down to a period ∼1000 s within 10–40 kyr requires efficient propeller mechanisms. In particular, the model for angular momentum loss under energy conservation seems to be ruled out.

TESTING MODELS OF MAGNETIC FIELD EVOLUTION OF NEUTRON STARS WITH THE STATISTICAL PROPERTIES OF THEIR SPIN EVOLUTIONS

We test models for the evolution of neutron star (NS) magnetic fields (B). Our model for the evolution of the NS spin is taken from an analysis of pulsar timing noise presented by Hobbs et al. (2010). We first test the standard model of a pulsar's magnetosphere in which B does not change with time and magnetic dipole radiation is assumed to dominate the pulsar's spin-down. We find this model fails to predict both the magnitudes and signs of the second derivatives of the spin frequencies ($\ddot{\nu}$). We then construct a phenomenological model of the evolution of $B$, which contains a long term decay (LTD) modulated by short term oscillations (STO); a pulsar's spin is thus modified by its B-evolution. We find that an exponential LTD is not favored by the observed statistical properties of $\ddot{\nu}$ for young pulsars and fails to explain the fact that $\ddot{\nu}$ is negative for roughly half of the old pulsars. A simple power-law LTD can explain all the observed statistical properties of $\ddot{\nu}$. Finally we discuss some physical implications of our results to models of the B-decay of NSs and suggest reliable determination of the true ages of many young NSs is needed, in order to constrain further the physical mechanisms of their B-decay. Our model can be further tested with the measured evolutions of $\dot{\nu}$ and $\ddot{\nu}$ for an individual pulsar; the decay index, oscillation amplitude and period can also be determined this way for the pulsar.