English

Random Primordial Magnetic Fields and the Gas Content of Dark Matter Halos

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 2011-01-24 v2 Astrophysics of Galaxies

Abstract

We recently predicted the existence of random primordial magnetic fields (RPMF) in the form of randomly oriented cells with dipole-like structure with a cell size L0L_0 and an average magnetic field B0B_0. Here we investigate models for primordial magnetic field with a similar web-like structure, and other geometries, differing perhaps in L0L_0 and B0B_0. The effect of RPMF on the formation of the first galaxies is investigated. The filtering mass, MFM_F, is the halo mass below which baryon accretion is severely depressed. We show that these RPMF could influence the formation of galaxies by altering the filtering mass and the baryon gas fraction of a halo, fgf_g. The effect is particularly strong in small galaxies. We find, for example, for a comoving B0=0.1\muGB_0=0.1\muG, and a reionization epoch that starts at zs=11z_s=11 and ends at ze=8z_e=8, for L0=100pcL_0=100\,\text{pc} at z=12z=12, the fgf_g becomes severely depressed for M<107\msunM<10^7\msun, whereas for B0=0B_0=0 the fgf_g becomes severely depressed only for much smaller masses, M<105\msunM<10^5\msun. We suggest that the observation of MFM_F and fgf_g at high redshifts can give information on the intensity and structure of primordial magnetic fields.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1005.0639,
  title  = {Random Primordial Magnetic Fields and the Gas Content of Dark Matter Halos},
  author = {Rafael S. de Souza and Luiz Felippe S. Rodrigues and Reuven Opher},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1005.0639},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

7 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS (several improvements after suggestions of the referee)