Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-20T00:49:05.157Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Origin of Magnetic Fields in Elliptical Galaxies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2016

Anvar Shukurov
Anvar Shukurov*
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Newcastle, NE1 7RU, U.K.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

We argue that interstellar gas in elliptical galaxies can be turbulent, with turbulent scale and velocity of 400 pc and 20 km s−1 respectively. An upper limit on turbulent velocity, ≃ 50 km s−1, follows from the requirement that the turbulence dissipation rate does not exceed the X-ray gas luminosity. The turbulence can generate random magnetic fields of 0.3 μG strength at the above scale via fluctuation dynamo action. The resulting Faraday rotation is random, with a typical value of 5-30 rad m−2, consistent with observational evidence available.

Type
II. Joint Discussions
Information
Highlights of Astronomy , Volume 12: Highlights of Astronomy. As presented at the XXIVth General Assembly of the IAU, 2000 , 2002 , pp. 731 - 732
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Pacific 2002

References

De Young, D. 1980, ApJ, 241, 81 Google Scholar
Fabbiano, G. 1989, ARA&A, 27, 87 Google Scholar
Lesch, H., & Bender, R. 1990, A&A, 233, 417 Google Scholar
Mathews, W.G., & Brighenti, F. 1997, ApJ, 488, 595 Google Scholar
Moss, D., & Shukurov, A. 1996, MNRAS, 279, 229 Google Scholar
Subramanian, K. 1999, Phys.Rev.Lett, 83, 2957 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zeldovich Ya., B., Ruzmaikin, A.A., & Sokoloff, D.D. 1990, The Almighty Chance (Singapore: World Sci.)Google Scholar