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Generation of Magnetic Fields in Gravitationally Forming Structures in the Early Universe Russell M. Kulsrud Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.

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Presentation on theme: "Generation of Magnetic Fields in Gravitationally Forming Structures in the Early Universe Russell M. Kulsrud Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory."— Presentation transcript:

1 Generation of Magnetic Fields in Gravitationally Forming Structures in the Early Universe Russell M. Kulsrud Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

2 OUTLINE PROPERTIES OF OUR GALACTIC MAGNETIC FIELD STANDARD DISC DYNAMO THEORY PROTOGALACTIC ORIGIN

3 OUR GALACTIC MAGNETIC FIELD The field is toroidal. Its strength is 2 microgauss. It varies in radius possibly changing every spiral arm or about one kiloparsec. It does not change in the direction perpendicular to the disc. Figure 1: The galactic magnetic field

4 THE ALPHA-OMEGA DISC DYNAMO THEORY THE THEORY CONSERVES FLUX, SO TO WORK IT HAS TO EXPEL NEGATIVE FLUX THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE GALACTIC DISC IS IN A DEEP POTENTIAL WELL AND THE FLUX MUST CARRY MATTER OUT WITH IT Figure 2: The escape of negative flux in the Alpha- Omega dynamo.

5 OTHER ORIGINS The Galaxy was originally a plasma in the form of a protogalaxy » 100kpc with a mass of 10 11 solar masses. It resulted from a gravitational collapse and smaller parts also suffered gravitational collapse creating many small shocks.

6 Shocks Creating Turbulence These shocks produced vorticity, turbulence, weak magnetic fields (Biermann) and heating that led to the support of the protogalaxy against gravity.

7

8 k

9 The Magnetic Differential Equation

10 The Solution

11 B 0 =6£10 -6 gauss lnB/B0 lnk/k0

12

13

14 CONCLUSION Magnetic Fields may have already been generated before our galaxy was fully formed due to plasma processes in the preceding protogalaxy. This may be a common phenomenon.


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