TY - JOUR

AU - Mao, S. A.
AU - Carilli, C.
AU - Gaensler, B. M.
AU - Wucknitz, O.
AU - Keeton, C.
AU - Basu, A.
AU - Beck, R.
AU - Kronberg, P. P.
AU - Zweibel, E.
PY - 2017
DA - 2017/09/01
TI - Detection of microgauss coherent magnetic fields in a galaxy five billion
years ago
JO - Nature Astronomy
SP - 621
EP - 626
VL - 1
IS - 9
AB - Magnetic fields play a pivotal role in the physics of interstellar medium
in galaxies 1 , but there are few observational
constraints on how they evolve across cosmic time 2–7
. Spatially resolved synchrotron polarization maps at radio wavelengths reveal
well-ordered large-scale magnetic fields in nearby galaxies
1,8,9 that are believed to grow from a seed field via a
dynamo effect 10,11 . To
directly test and characterize this theory requires magnetic field strength and
geometry measurements in cosmologically distant galaxies, which are challenging
to obtain due to the limited sensitivity and angular resolution of current radio
telescopes. Here, we report the cleanest measurements yet of magnetic fields in
a galaxy beyond the local volume, free of the systematics traditional techniques
would encounter. By exploiting the scenario where the polarized radio emission
from a background source is gravitationally lensed by a foreground galaxy at z =
0.439 using broadband radio polarization data, we detected coherent μG magnetic G magnetic
fields in the lensing disk galaxy as seen 4.6 Gyr ago, with similar strength and
geometry to local volume galaxies. This is the highest redshift galaxy whose
observed coherent magnetic field property is compatible with a mean-field dynamo
origin.
SN - 2397-3366
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-017-0218-x
DO - 10.1038/s41550-017-0218-x
ID - Mao2017
ER -