Magnetic Fields in Young Galaxies
Abstract
The hot cluster gas out of which the visible parts of galaxies form by cooling and contraction is known to contain some magnetic fields, presumably of a random, turbulent nature. We have studied the fate of such random magnetic fields during the formation of disk galaxies, with three-dimensional numerical MHD-models. The hot gas undergoes a compression by several orders of magnitude in the subsonic cooling flow that forms the cold disk. The magnetic field is carried along and is amplified considerably in the process, reaching microgauss field strengths for reasonable values of the initial field strength.
- Publication:
-
IAU Joint Discussion
- Pub Date:
- 2000
- Bibcode:
- 2000IAUJD..14E...2N