Related papers: Introduction to galactic dynamos
We review our current understanding of galactic dynamo theory, paying particular attention to numerical simulations both of the mean-field equations and the original three-dimensional equations relevant to describing the magnetic field…
The magnetic fields of spiral galaxies are so strong that they cannot be primordial. Their typical values are over one billion times higher than any value predicted for the early Universe. Explaining this immense growth and incorporating it…
Mean-field galactic dynamo theory is the leading theory to explain the prevalence of regular magnetic fields in spiral galaxies, but its systematic comparison with observations is still incomplete and fragmentary. Here we compare…
We study the cosmic evolution of the magnetic fields of a large sample of spiral galaxies in a cosmologically representative volume by employing a semi-analytic galaxy formation model and numerical dynamo solver in tandem. We start by…
Observational evidence for dynamo action in spiral galaxies is reviewed, and the capabilities of various theories in explaining the basic features of galactic magnetic fields are discussed. Mean-field dynamo models appear to be unique in…
(Abridged) Based on the rapidly increasing all-sky data of Faraday rotation measures and polarised synchrotron radiation, the Milky Way's magnetic field is now modelled with an unprecedented level of detail and complexity. We aim to…
We argue that pitch angles of the azimuthally averaged large-scale or mean magnetic fields in nearby spiral galaxies inferred from observations can tentatively be explained with simple galactic dynamo models. Agreement is not perfect, but…
Spiral galaxies host dynamically important magnetic fields which can affect gas flows in the disks and halos. Total magnetic fields in spiral galaxies are strongest (up to 30 \muG) in the spiral arms where they are mostly turbulent or…
We seek the conditions for a {\it steady} mean field galactic dynamo. The parameter set is reduced to those appearing in the $\alpha^2$ and $\alpha/\omega$ dynamo, namely velocity amplitudes, and the ratio of sub-scale helicity to…
Observations of synchrotron radiation and the Faraday rotation of its polarized component allow us to investigate the magnetic properties of the diffuse interstellar medium in nearby galaxies, on scales down to roughly one hundred parsecs.…
Spiral galaxies, including the Milky Way, have large-scale magnetic fields with significant energy densities. The dominant theory attributes these magnetic fields to a large-scale dynamo. We review the current status of dynamo theory and…
Constraining dynamo theories of magnetic field origin by observation is indispensable but challenging, in part because the basic quantities measured by observers and predicted by modelers are different. We clarify these differences and…
A framework is introduced for coupling the evolution of galactic magnetic fields sustained by the mean-field dynamo with the formation and evolution of galaxies in cold dark matter cosmology. Estimates of the steady-state strength of the…
Radio continuum observations allow to reveal the magnetic field structure in the disk and halo of nearby spiral galaxies, their magnetic field strength and vertical scale heights. The spiral galaxies studied so far show a similar magnetic…
Observations of dwarf galaxies suggest the presence of large-scale magnetic fields. However the size and slow rotation of these galaxies appear insufficient to support a mean-field dynamo action to excite such fields. Here we suggest a new…
In previous galactic dynamo theories of the origin of the magnetic field in our galaxy, the subject of flux-freezing has been omitted. As a consequence, the equation of mass flow has generally also been omitted, particularly in the halo…
Mean-field dynamo theory, describing the evolution of large-scale magnetic fields, has been the mainstay of theoretical interpretation of magnetism in astrophysical objects such as the Sun for several decades. More recently,…
We study the global consequences in the halos of spiral galaxies of the steady, axially symmetric, mean field dynamo. We use the classical theory but add the possibility of using the velocity field components as parameters in addition to…
From our radio observations of the magnetic field strength and large-scale pattern of spiral galaxies of different Hubble types and star formation rates (SFR) we conclude that - though a high SFR in the disk increases the total magnetic…
We compare various models and approximations for non-linear mean-field dynamos in disc galaxies to assess their applicability and accuracy, and thus to suggest a set of simple solutions suitable to model the large-scale galactic magnetic…