The primordial origin model of magnetic fields in spiral galaxies

Yoshiaki Sofue, Mami MacHida, Takahiro Kudoh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We propose a primordial-origin model for composite configurations of global magnetic fields in spiral galaxies. We show that a uniform tilted magnetic field wound up into a rotating disk galaxy can evolve into composite magnetic configurations comprising bisymmetric spiral (S = BSS), axisymmetric spiral (A = ASS), plane-reversed spiral (PR), and/or ring (R) fields in the disk, and vertical (V) fields in the center. By MHD simulations we show that these composite galactic fields are indeed created from a weak primordial uniform field, and that different configurations can co-exist in the same galaxy. We show that spiral fields trigger the growth of two-armed gaseous arms. The centrally accumulated vertical fields are twisted and produce a jet toward the halo. We found that the more vertical was the initial uniform field, the stronger was the formed magnetic field in the galactic disk.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1191-1201
Number of pages11
JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of Japan
Volume62
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 25 2010

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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