Toroidal Component Of Magnetic Field Research Articles

Multiwavelength Pulsations and Surface Temperature Distribution in the Middle-aged Pulsar B1055–52

We present a detailed study of the X-ray emission from PSR B1055–52 using XMM-Newton observations from 2019 and 2000. The phase-integrated X-ray emission from this pulsar is poorly described by existing models of neutron star atmospheres. Instead, we confirm that, similar to other middle-aged pulsars, the best-fitting spectral model consists of two blackbody components, with substantially different temperatures and emitting areas, and a nonthermal component characterized by a power law. Our phase-resolved X-ray spectral analysis using this three-component model reveals variations in the thermal emission parameters with the pulsar’s rotational phase. These variations suggest a nonuniform temperature distribution across the neutron star’s surface, including the cold thermal component and probable hot spot(s). Such a temperature distribution can be caused by external and internal heating processes, likely a combination thereof. We observe very high pulse fractions, 60%–80% in the 0.7–1.5 keV range, dominated by the hot blackbody component. This could be related to temperature nonuniformity and potential beaming effects in an atmosphere. We find indication of a second hot spot that appears at lower energies (0.15–0.3 keV) than the first hot spot (0.5–1.5 keV) in the X-ray light curves and is offset by about half a rotation period. This finding aligns with the nearly orthogonal rotator geometry suggested by radio observations of this interpulse pulsar. If the hot spots are associated with polar caps, a possible explanation for their temperature asymmetry could be an offset magnetic dipole and/or an additional toroidal magnetic field component in the neutron star crust.

Solar magnetic cycles as a Van Der Pol-Duffing oscillator: new insights

ABSTRACT In this paper, we use an approximative stable limit cycle solution of the hybrid Van der Pol-Duffing differential equation, obtained by homotopy and Poincaré–Lindstedt perturbation methods, to describe the toroidal component of the solar magnetic field B(t). This analytic approach allows us to recover an explicit relationship between the parameter μ, which is related to the meridional circulation, and the period of the Hale’s magnetic cycle with a correlation coefficient of r = −0.58. Furthermore, assuming that the sunspot number (SN) is proportional to the square of the toroidal magnetic field (SN∝B2), our solution accurately predict the presence of an harmonic oscillation in the SN data, occurring at a period of T/4 = 5.52 ± 0.44 yr. This prediction has been validated through Lomb–Scargle analysis, with a high statistical significance. Additionally, we find that the ratio of spectral powers between the T/4 harmonic and the main T/2 oscillation is almost equal to the value obtained from our solution using the mean values of the parameters. Interestingly, this study also reveals a correlation between the intermittent 5.52-yr cycle and μ, the parameter associated with the meridional circulation of the Sun. Both follow a similar pattern, suggesting that the origin of the five-year cycle lies within the meridional circulation. Finally, we will see how, using this model, we can overcome the limitations of direct observations and reconstruct the variation profile of the meridional circulation over two centuries using a single observation (from the last magnetic cycle).

Linking the interiors and surfaces of magnetic stars

ABSTRACTStrong magnetic fields are observed in a substantial fraction of upper main sequence stars and white dwarfs. Many such stars are observed to exhibit photometric modulations as the magnetic poles rotate in and out of view, which could be a consequence of magnetic perturbations to the star’s thermal structure. The magnetic pressure is typically larger than the gas pressure at the star’s photosphere, but much smaller than the gas pressure in the star’s interior, so the expected surface flux perturbations are not clear. We compute magnetically perturbed stellar structures of young $3 \, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ stars that are in both hydrostatic and thermal equilibrium, and which contain both poloidal and toroidal components of a dipolar magnetic field as expected for stable fossil fields. This provides semi-analytical models of such fields in baroclinic stably stratified regions. The star’s internal pressure, temperature, and flux perturbations can have a range of magnitudes, though we argue the most likely configurations exhibit flux perturbations much smaller than the ratio of surface magnetic pressure to surface gas pressure, but much larger than the ratio of surface magnetic pressure to central gas pressure. The magnetic pole is hotter than the equator in our models, but a cooler magnetic pole is possible depending on the magnetic field configuration. The expected flux variations for observed field strengths are δL/L ≲ 10−6, much smaller than those observed in magnetic stars, suggesting that observed perturbations stem from changes to the emergent spectrum rather than changes to the bolometric flux.

The Spiderweb Protocluster is Being Magnetized by Its Central Radio Jet

We present deep broadband radio polarization observations of the Spiderweb radio galaxy (J1140-2629) in a galaxy protocluster at z = 2.16. These yield the most detailed polarimetric maps yet made of a high-redshift radio galaxy. The intrinsic polarization angles and Faraday rotation measures (RMs) reveal coherent magnetic fields spanning the ∼60 kpc length of the jets, while ∼50% fractional polarizations indicate these fields are well ordered. Source-frame ∣RM∣ values of ∼1000 rad m−2 are typical, and values up to ∼11,100 rad m−2 are observed. The Faraday-rotating gas cannot be well mixed with the synchrotron-emitting gas, or stronger-than-observed depolarization would occur. Nevertheless, an observed spatial coincidence between a localized ∣RM∣ enhancement of ∼1100 rad m−2 , a bright knot of Lyα emission, and a deviation of the radio jet provide direct evidence for vigorous jet-gas interaction. We detect a large-scale RM gradient totaling ∼1000 s rad m−2 across the width of the jet, suggesting a net clockwise (as viewed from the active galactic nuclei) toroidal magnetic field component exists at tens-of-kiloparsec scales, which we speculate may be associated with the operation of a Poynting–Robertson cosmic battery. We conclude the RMs are mainly generated in a sheath of hot gas around the radio jet, rather than the ambient foreground protocluster gas. The estimated magnetic field strength decreases by successive orders of magnitude going from the jet hotspots (∼90 μG) to the jet sheath (∼10 μG) to the ambient intracluster medium (∼1 μG). Synthesizing our results, we propose that the Spiderweb radio galaxy is actively magnetizing its surrounding protocluster environment, with possible implications for theories of the origin and evolution of cosmic magnetic fields.

Turbulent magnetic field amplification in binary neutron star mergers

Magnetic fields are expected to play a key role in the dynamics and the ejection mechanisms that accompany the merger of two neutron stars. General relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations offer a unique opportunity to unravel the details of the ongoing physical processes. Nevertheless, current numerical studies are severely limited by the fact that any affordable resolution remains insufficient to fully capture the small-scale dynamo, initially triggered by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, and later sourced by several MHD processes involving differential rotation. Here, we alleviate this limitation by using explicit large-eddy simulations, a technique where the unresolved dynamics occurring at the subgrid scales (SGS) is modeled by extra terms, which are functions of the resolved fields and their derivatives. The combination of high-order numerical schemes, high resolutions, and the gradient SGS model allow us to capture the small-scale dynamos produced during the binary neutron star mergers, as shown in previous works. Here, we follow the first 50 milliseconds after the merger and, for the first time, we find numerical convergence on the magnetic field amplification, in terms of integrated energy and spectral distribution over spatial scales. Among other results, we find that the average intensity of the magnetic field in the remnant saturates at $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{16}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{G}$ around 5 ms after the merger. After 20--30 ms, both toroidal and poloidal magnetic field components grow continuously, fed by the winding mechanism that provides a slow inverse cascade, i.e., gradually transferring kinetic into magnetic energy. We find no clear hints for magnetorotational instabilities and no significant impact of the magnetic field on the redistribution of angular momentum in the remnant in our simulations, probably due to the very turbulent and dynamical topology of the magnetic field at all stages, with small-scale components largely dominating over the large-scale ones. Although the magnetic field grows near the rotation axis of the remnant, longer large-eddy simulations are necessary to further investigate the formation of large-scale, helical structures close to the rotational axis, which could be associated to jet formation.

A simple analytical model of magnetic jets

ABSTRACT We propose a simple analytical jet model of magnetic jets, in which radially averaged profiles of main physical quantities are obtained based on conservation laws and some results of published general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic jet simulations. We take into account conversion of the magnetic energy flux to bulk acceleration in jets formed around rotating black holes assuming the mass continuity equation and constant jet power, which leads to the Bernoulli equation. For assumed profiles of the bulk Lorentz factor and the radius, this gives us the profile of the toroidal magnetic field component along the jet. We then consider the case where the poloidal field component is connected to a rotating black hole surrounded by an accretion disc. Our formalism then recovers the standard formula for the power extracted from a rotating black hole. We find that the poloidal field strength dominates over the toroidal one in the comoving frame up to large distances, which means that jets should be more stable to current-driven kink modes. The resulting magnetic field profiles can then be used to calculate the jet synchrotron emission.

Synthetic solar cycle for active regions violating the Hale’s polarity law

ABSTRACT Long observational series for bipolar active regions (ARs) provide significant information about the mutual transformation of the poloidal and toroidal components of the global solar magnetic field. The direction of the toroidal field determines the polarity of leading sunspots in ARs in accordance with the Hale’s polarity law. The vast majority of bipolar ARs obey this regularity, whereas a few per cent of ARs have the opposite sense of polarity (anti-Hale ARs). However, the study of these ARs is hampered by their poor statistics. The data for five 11-yr cycles (16–18 and 23, 24) were combined here to compile a synthetic cycle of unique time length and latitudinal width. The synthetic cycle comprises data for 14838 ARs and 367 of them are the anti-Hale ARs. A specific routine to compile the synthetic cycle was demonstrated. We found that, in general, anti-Hale ARs follow the solar cycle and are spread throughout the time-latitude diagram evenly, which implies their fundamental connection with the global dynamo mechanism and the toroidal flux system. The increase in their number and percentage occurs in the second part of the cycle, which is in favour of their contribution to the polar field reversal. The excess in the anti-Hale ARs percentage at the edges of the butterfly diagram and near an oncoming solar minimum (where the toroidal field weakens) might be associated with the strengthening of the influence of turbulent convection and magnetic field fluctuations on the arising flux tubes. The evidence of the misalignment between the magnetic and heliographic equators is also found.

On the torque exerted by a warped, magnetically threaded accretion disk

Most astrophysical accretion disks are likely to be warped. In X-ray binaries, the spin evolution of an accreting neutron star is critically dependent on the interaction between the neutron star magnetic field and the accretion disk. There have been extensive investigations on the accretion torque exerted by a coplanar disk that is magnetically threaded by the magnetic field lines from the neutron stars, but relevant works on warped/tilted accretion disks are still lacking. In this paper we develop a simplified two-component model, in which the disk is comprised of an inner coplanar part and an outer, tilted part. Based on standard assumption on the formation and evolution of the toroidal magnetic field component, we derive the dimensionless torque and show that a warped/titled disk is more likely to spin up the neutron star compared with a coplanar disk. We also discuss the possible influence of various initial parameters on the torque.

Manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and first results with the 3D low-temperature co-fired ceramic high-frequency magnetic sensors on the Tokamak à Configuration Variable.

Innovative high-frequency magnetic sensors have been designed and manufactured in-house for installation on the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV), which are now routinely operational during the TCV experimental campaigns. These sensors combine the Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) and the classical thick-film technologies and are in various aspects similar to the majority of the in-vessel inductive magnetic sensors foreseen for ITER (around 450 out of the 505 currently being procured are of the LTCC-1D type). The TCV LTCC-3D magnetic sensors provide measurements in the frequency range up to 1 MHz of the perturbations to the wall-aligned toroidal (δBTOR), vertical (δBVER), and radial (δBRAD) magnetic field components. Knowledge of the equilibrium at the last closed flux-surface allows us to then obtain the field-aligned parallel (δBPAR ∼ δBTOR), poloidal (δBPOL), and normal (δBNOR) components, the latter being in most cases rather different from the vertical and radial components, respectively. The main design principles were aimed at increasing the effective area and reducing the self-inductance of the sensor in each of the three measurement axes, which are centered at the same position on each sensor, while reducing the mutual and parasitic coupling between them by optimizing the on-board wiring. The physics requirements are set by the installation of two high-power/high-energy neutral beam injection systems on TCV, i.e., studying fast ions physics, coherent instabilities, and turbulence in the (super-)Alfvénic frequency range. In this paper, we report the manufacturing, installation, and commissioning work for these high-frequency LTCC-3D magnetic sensors and conclude with an overview of illustrative experimental results obtained with this system. The LTCC-3D data provide new insights into the δBPOL coherent (eigenmodes, up to ∼400 kHz) and in-coherent background turbulent fluctuations in the higher frequency range up to ∼1 MHz, which were not previously available with the TCV Mirnov sensors. Furthermore, the LTCC-3D δBPOL measurements allow us to cross-check the data obtained with the standard Mirnov coils and have led to the identification of largeelectromagnetic (EM) noise pick-up for the Mirnov data acquisition (DAQ). When the sources of EM noise pick-up on the Mirnov DAQ are removed, the LTCC-3D data for δBPOL are in good overall agreement, i.e., within the expected measurement uncertainties, with those obtained with the standard Mirnov sensors located at the same poloidal position in the frequency range where the respective data acquisition overlap, routinely up to 125 kHz and up to 250 kHz in some discharges. The LTCC-3D δBPAR measurements (not previously available in TCV or elsewhere) provide evidence that certain instabilities have a finite parallel δB at the wall, hence at the LCFS, consistent with the recent theoretical results for pressure-driven modes. The LTCC-3D δBNOR measurements improve significantly on the corresponding measurements with the saddle loops, which are mounted onto the wall and have a bandwidth of ∼3 kHz (due to the wall penetration time). A detailed end-to-end system modeling tool has been developed and applied to test on the simulated data the actual measurement capabilities of this new diagnostic system and obtain the ensuing estimates of the intrinsic measurement uncertainties. A detailed error analysis is then performed so that, finally, fully calibrated, absolute measurements of the frequency-dependent amplitude and spectral breaks of coherent eigenmodes and in-coherent broadband magnetic fluctuations are provided for the first time in physical units with quantitative uncertainties.

Numerical study of toroidal magnetic field on the self-gravitating protoplanetary disks

In this paper, we study the self-gravitating accretion disks by considering the toroidal component of magnetic field, [Formula: see text] and wind/outflow in the flow and also investigate the effect of two parameters, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] corresponding to magnetic field on the latitudinal structure of such accretion disks. The cooling of the disk is parameterized simply as, [Formula: see text] (where [Formula: see text] is the internal energy and [Formula: see text] is the cooling timescale and [Formula: see text] is a free constant) and the heating rate is decomposed into two components, magnetic field and viscosity dissipations. We have shown that when the toroidal magnetic field becomes stronger, the heating process (viscous and resistivity) and the radiative cooling rate increase. Ohmic heating is much bigger than viscous heating and cooling, so we must consider the role of the magnetic field in the energy equation. Our numerical solutions show that the thickness of the disk decreases with strong toroidal component of magnetic field. The magnetic field leads to production of the outflow in the low latitude. So, by increasing the toroidal component of the magnetic field, the regions which belong to inflow decrease and the disk is cooled.

Magnetized filament models for diverging plasma lenses

ABSTRACT Spherical plasma lens models are known to suffer from a severe overpressure problem, with some observations requiring lenses with central pressures up to millions of times in excess of the ambient interstellar medium. There are two ways that lens models can solve the overpressure problem: a confinement mechanism exists to counter the internal pressure of the lens, or the lens has a unique geometry, such that the projected column-density appears large to an observer. This occurs with highly asymmetric models, such as edge-on sheets or filaments, with potentially low volume–density. In the first part of this work we investigate the ability of non-magnetized plasma filaments to mimic the magnification of sources seen behind spherical lenses and we extend a theorem from gravitational lens studies regarding this model degeneracy. We find that for plasma lenses, the theorem produces unphysical charge density distributions. In the second part of the work, we consider the plasma lens overpressure problem. Using magnetohydrodynamics, we develop a non self-gravitating model filament confined by a helical magnetic field. We use toy models in the force-free limit to illustrate novel lensing properties. Generally, magnetized filaments may act as lenses in any orientation with respect to the observer, with the most high-density events produced from filaments with axes near the line of sight. We focus on filaments that are perpendicular to the line of sight that show the toroidal magnetic field component may be observed via the lens rotation measure.

Application of Synoptic Magnetograms to Global Solar Activity Forecast

Abstract Synoptic magnetograms provide us with knowledge about the evolution of magnetic fields on the solar surface and present important information for forecasting future solar activity. In this work, poloidal and toroidal magnetic field components derived from synoptic magnetograms are assimilated, using the Ensemble Kalman Filter method, into a mean-field dynamo model based on Parker’s migratory dynamo theory complemented by magnetic helicity conservation. It was found that the predicted toroidal field is in good agreement with observations for almost the entire following solar cycle. However, poloidal field predictions agree with observations only for the first 2–3 yr of the predicted cycle. The results indicate that the upcoming Solar Maximum of Cycle 25 (SC25) is expected to be weaker than the current Cycle 24. The model results show that a deep extended solar activity minimum is expected during 2019–2021, and that the next solar maximum will occur in 2024–2025. The sunspot number at the maximum will be about 50 with an error estimate of 15%–30%. The maximum will likely have a double peak or show extended periods (for 2–2.5 yr) of high activity. According to the hemispheric prediction results, SC25 will start in 2020 in the southern hemisphere, and will have a maximum in 2024 with a sunspot number of about 28. In the northern hemisphere the cycle will be delayed for about 1 yr (with an error of ±0.5 yr), and reach a maximum in 2025 with a sunspot number of about 23.

Measuring stellar magnetic helicity density

ABSTRACT Helicity is a fundamental property of a magnetic field but to date it has only been possible to observe its evolution in one star – the Sun. In this paper, we provide a simple technique for mapping the large-scale helicity density across the surface of any star using only observable quantities: the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field components (which can be determined from Zeeman–Doppler imaging) and the stellar radius. We use a sample of 51 stars across a mass range of 0.1–1.34 M⊙ to show how the helicity density relates to stellar mass, Rossby number, magnetic energy, and age. We find that the large-scale helicity density increases with decreasing Rossby number Ro, peaking at Ro ≃ 0.1, with a saturation or decrease below that. For both fully and partially convective stars, we find that the mean absolute helicity density scales with the mean squared toroidal magnetic flux density according to the power law: $|\langle {h\, }\rangle |$ ∝ $\langle {\rm {{\it B}_{tor}}^2_{}\, \rangle }^{0.86\, \pm \, 0.04}$. The scatter in this relation is consistent with the variation across a solar cycle, which we compute using simulations and observations across solar cycles 23 and 24, respectively. We find a significant decrease in helicity density with age.

Acceleration and trapping of fast ions in self-organized magneto-plasma structures in the dense plasma focus

Recent research at the PF-1000 Dense Plasma Focus facility strongly suggests that the early part of neutron emission is caused by fast deuterons with energy on the order of ∼100 keV, having approximately equal axial and radial velocity, temporally coinciding with the occurrence of self-organized, bounded magneto-plasma structures, which remain trapped within the reaction zone for tens of transit times. The experimental evidence, predominantly qualitative in nature, does not clarify the nature and origin of the accelerating electric field responsible for high ion energy and of the magnetic field that might be confining the ions to the reaction zone except for the suggestion that they have toroidal and poloidal magnetic field components whose presence is revealed by magnetic probes. Current theories, conjectures, and models of plasma focus find it difficult to accommodate three-dimensional features of ion motion and magnetic field revealed by multiple experiments within their scope. This paper revisits the relevant experimental evidence and introduces a model that is deliberately non-quantitative in order to accommodate the qualitative nature of the available experimental evidence. The model leads to a functional form for the 3-dimensional distribution of magnetic field associated with the spontaneously self-organized magneto-plasma structures. This enables the discussion of properties of 3-dimensional trajectories of ions accelerated by electric fields induced during their growth. Many qualitative observations about the nature of neutron emission in Dense Plasma Focus and the observed phenomenology of plasma evolution can be understood in terms of this model in a unified manner. The model also helps conceive a new generation of diagnostic schemes targeted at getting quantitative information that is out of reach of currently available diagnostics.

First measurements of a magnetically driven fast-ion loss detector on ASDEX Upgrade

A new scintillator-based fast-ion loss detector (FILD) has been deployed ∼45̂ below the midplane of the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. Port unavailability at this remote location requires an in-situ magnetically driven manipulator to move the diagnostic head horizontally through the scrape-off layer (SOL). The linear displacement is produced by an externally energized coil, whose magnetic dipole tries to align with the toroidal component of the tokamak magnetic field. The insertion is given by force balance between a retaining spring and the energized solenoid, whose current is regulated in real-time, opening the possibility of self-adaptive real-time control of the probe head location based on its temperature. The diagnostic head contains a scintillator screen, Faraday cup, thermocouple and collimator systems. The scintillator image is transferred to a vacuum window using a 3.5 meters quartz image guide. The light acquisition system is composed by a charge coupled device (CCD) camera, for high velocity-space resolution, and by an 8×4 channels avalanche photo diode (APD) camera, for high temporal resolution (up to 2 MHz). First measurements of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) induced fast-ion losses and radially resolved fast-ion losses are presented.

LTCC magnetic sensors at EPFL and TCV: Lessons learnt for ITER

Innovative 3D high-frequency magnetic sensors have been designed and manufactured in-house for installation on the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV), and are currently routinely operational. These sensors combine the Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) and the thick-film technologies, and are in various aspects similar to the majority of the inductive magnetic sensors currently being procured for ITER (290 out of 505 are LTCC-1D). The TCV LTCC-3D magnetic sensors provide measurements in the frequency range up to 1MHz of the perturbations to the toroidal (quasi-parallel: δBTOR˜δBPAR), vertical (quasi-poloidal: δBVER˜δBPOL), and radial (δBRAD) magnetic field components, the latter being generally different from the component normal to the Last Closed Flux-Surface (δBNOR). The LTCC-3D δBRAD measurements improve significantly on the corresponding data with the saddle loops, which are mounted onto the wall and have a bandwidth of ˜3 kHz (due to the wall penetration time). The LTCC-3D δBTOR measurements (not previously available in TCV) provide evidence that certain MHD modes have a finite δBPAR at the LCFS, as recently calculated for pressure-driven instabilities. The LTCC-3D δBPOL measurements allow to cross-check the data obtained with the Mirnov coils, and led to the identification of large EM noise pick-up for the Mirnov DAQ. The LTCC-3D data for δBPOL agree with those obtained with the Mirnov sensors in the frequency range where the respective data acquisition overlap, routinely up to 125kHz, and up to 250kHz in some discharges, when the EM noise pick-up on the Mirnov DAQ is removed. Finally, we look at what lessons can be learnt from our work for the forthcoming procurement, installation and operation of the LTCC-1D sensors in ITER.

A long-lived neutron star merger remnant in GW170817: constraints and clues from X-ray observations

Multi-messenger observations of GW170817 have not conclusively established whether the merger remnant is a black hole (BH) or a neutron star (NS). We show that a long-lived magnetized NS with a poloidal field $B\approx 10^{12}$G is fully consistent with the electromagnetic dataset, when spin down losses are dominated by gravitational wave (GW) emission. The required ellipticity $\epsilon\gtrsim 10^{-5}$ can result from a toroidal magnetic field component much stronger than the poloidal component, a configuration expected from a NS newly formed from a merger. Abrupt magnetic dissipation of the toroidal component can lead to the appearance of X-ray flares, analogous to the one observed in gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows. In the X-ray afterglow of GW170817 we identify a low-significance ($\gtrsim 3\sigma$) temporal feature at 155 d, consistent with a sudden reactivation of the central NS. Energy injection from the NS spin down into the relativistic shock is negligible, and the underlying continuum is fully accounted for by a structured jet seen off-axis. Whereas radio and optical observations probe the interaction of this jet with the surrounding medium, observations at X-ray wavelengths, performed with adequate sampling, open a privileged window on to the merger remnant.

Possibility of Core-envelope Separation in the Self-similar Dynamic Collapse of a Polytropic Filamentary Cloud

The core-envelope separation during the gravitational collapse is one of the important mechanisms in the binary formation that may occur in a rotating filamentary cloud. In this study, we consider the self-similar dynamic collapse of a rotating filament, including the effect of magnetic braking and ambipolar diffusion in the intermediate and surrounding mediums (or envelope) of the cloud. The self-similar dynamic formalism is used in the nonideal magnetohydrodynamic regime to study the gravitational collapse. We divide our study into two parts, i.e., isothermal configuration and polytropic configuration. The problem in the isothermal configuration is solvable as a function of the independent self-similar variable. This analytical result can give us a new perspective on the isothermal collapse. The results in the polytropic configuration can be obtained by numerical methods. The presence of ambipolar diffusion results in a toroidal component of magnetic field during the self-similar collapse in these mediums, which markedly affects the magnetic braking. In fact, this braking effect in the toroidal direction causes a rotation opposite to the initial rotation, which may lead to the core-envelope separation. We also found that the ratio of magnetic pressure to gas pressure, which is a resistive criterion versus the gravity force, decreases by increasing the ambipolar diffusion coefficient. Finally, the results point to regions of interest in which the core-envelope separation may be seen.

Magnetic field in a young circumbinary disk

Context. Polarized continuum emission at millimeter-to-submillimeter wavelengths is usually attributed to thermal emission from dust grains aligned through radiative torques with the magnetic field. However, recent theoretical work has shown that under specific conditions polarization may arise from self-scattering of thermal emission and by radiation fields from a nearby stellar object. Aims. We use multi-frequency polarization observations of a circumbinary disk to investigate how the polarization properties change at distinct frequency bands. Our goal is to discern the main mechanism responsible for the polarization through comparison between our observations and model predictions for each of the proposed mechanisms. Methods. We used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to perform full polarization observations at 97.5 GHz (Band 3), 233 GHz (Band 6) and 343.5 GHz (Band 7). The ALMA data have a mean spatial resolution of 28 AU. The target is the Class I object BHB07-11, which is the youngest object in the Barnard 59 protocluster. Complementary Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations at 34.5 GHz were also performed and revealed a binary system at centimetric continuum emission within the disk. Results. We detect an extended and structured polarization pattern that is remarkably consistent between the three bands. The distribution of polarized intensity resembles a horseshoe shape with polarization angles following this morphology. From the spectral index between Bands 3 and 7, we derived a dust opacity index β ~ 1 consistent with maximum grain sizes larger than expected to produce self-scattering polarization in each band. The polarization morphology and the polarization levels do not match predictions from self-scattering. On the other hand, marginal correspondence is seen between our maps and predictions from a radiation field model assuming the brightest binary component as main radiation source. Previous molecular line data from BHB07-11 indicates disk rotation. We used the DustPol module of the ARTIST radiative transfer tool to produce synthetic polarization maps from a rotating magnetized disk model assuming combined poloidal and toroidal magnetic field components. The magnetic field vectors (i.e., the polarization vectors rotated by 90°) are better represented by a model with poloidal magnetic field strength about three times the toroidal one. Conclusions. The similarity of our polarization patterns among the three bands provides a strong evidence against self-scattering and radiation fields. On the other hand, our data are reasonably well reproduced by a model of disk with toroidal magnetic field components slightly smaller than poloidal ones. The residual is likely to be due to the internal twisting of the magnetic field due to the binary system dynamics, which is not considered in our model.

The jets of AGN as giant coaxial cables

Context. The currents carried by the jets of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be probed using maps of the Faraday rotation measure (RM), since a jet current will be accompanied by a toroidal magnetic field, which will give rise to a systematic change in the RM across the jet. Aims. The aim of this study is to identify new AGNs displaying statistically significant transverse RM gradients across their parsec-scale jets, in order to determine how often helical magnetic fields occur in AGN jets, and to look for overall patterns in the implied directions for the toroidal field components and jet currents. Methods. We have carried out new analyses of Faraday RM maps derived from previously published 8.1, 8.4, 12.1 and 15.3 GHz data obtained in 2006 on the NRAO Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). In a number of key ways, our procedures were identical to those of the original authors, but the new imaging and analysis differs from the original methods in several ways: the technique used to match the resolutions at the different frequencies, limits on the widths spanned by the RM gradients analyzed, treatment of core-region RM gradients, approach to estimation of the significances of the gradients analyzed, and inclusion of a supplementary analysis using circular beams with areas equal to those of the corresponding elliptical naturally weighted beams. Results. This new analysis has substantially increased the number of AGNs known to display transverse RM gradients that may reflect the presence of a toroidal magnetic-field component. The collected data on parsec and kiloparsec scales indicate that the current typically flows inward along the jet axis and outward in a more extended region surrounding the jet, typical to the current structure of a co-axial cable, accompanied by a self-consistent system of nested helical magnetic fields, whose toroidal components give rise to the observed transverse Faraday rotation gradients. Conclusions. The new results presented here make it possible for the first time to conclusively demonstrate the existence of a preferred direction for the toroidal magnetic-field components – and therefore of the currents – of AGN jets. Discerning the origin of this current-field system is of cardinal importance for understanding the physical mechanisms leading to the formation of the intrinsic jet magnetic field, which likely plays an important role in the propagation and collimation of the jets; one possibility is the action of a “cosmic battery”.