The origin and evolution of cluster magnetism
Abstract
Random motions can occur in the intergalactic gas of galaxy clusters at all stages of their evolution. Depending on the poorly known value of the Reynolds number, these motions can or cannot become turbulent, but in any case they can generate random magnetic fields via dynamo action. We argue that magnetic fields inferred observationally for the intracluster medium require dynamo action, and then estimate parameters of random flows and magnetic fields at various stages of the cluster evolution. Polarization in cluster radio halos predicted by the model would be detectable with the SKA.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0512608,
title = {The origin and evolution of cluster magnetism},
author = {A. Shukurov and K. Subramanian and N. E. L. Haugen},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0512608},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
4 pages, 1 figure, to be published by Astronomische Nachrichten (proceedings of "The Origin and Evolution of Cosmic Magnetism", 29 August - 2 September 2005, Bologna, Italy); version updated to match the accepted text