Galactic Hydrostatic Equilibrium with Magnetic Tension and Cosmic-Ray Diffusion
Abstract
Three gravitational potentials differing in the content of dark matter in the Galactic plane are used to study the structure of the z-distribution of mass and pressure in the solar neighborhood. A P(0) of roughly (3.9 + or - 0.6) x 10 to the -12th dyn/sq cm is obtained, with roughly equal contributions from magnetic field, cosmic ray, and kinetic terms. This boundary condition restricts both the magnitude of gravity and the high z-pressure. It favors lower gravity and higher values for the cosmic ray, magnetic field, and probably the kinetic pressures than have been popular in the past. Inclusion of the warm H(+) distribution carries a significant mass component into the z about 1 kpc regime.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- December 1990
- DOI:
- 10.1086/169509
- Bibcode:
- 1990ApJ...365..544B
- Keywords:
-
- Cosmic Rays;
- Interstellar Gas;
- Interstellar Magnetic Fields;
- Milky Way Galaxy;
- Particle Acceleration;
- Solar Neighborhood;
- Gaseous Diffusion;
- Gravitational Fields;
- Hydrostatics;
- Mass Distribution;
- Pressure Distribution;
- Astrophysics;
- COSMIC RAYS: GENERAL;
- DIFFUSION;
- HYDROMAGNETICS;
- INTERSTELLAR: MAGNETIC FIELDS;
- PARTICLE ACCELERATION