Surprising Detection of Big Magnetic Field in Distant Galaxy

[sol88]

First Detection of Magnetic Field
in Distant Galaxy Produces a Surprise

Well well well!http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/scienc ... Fields.asp

“This was a complete surprise,” said Arthur Wolfe, a professor of physics at UC San Diego’s Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences who headed the team. “The magnetic field we measured is at least an order of magnitude larger than the average value of the magnetic field detected in our own galaxy.”

So could the Electric Universe theory have legs

Wolfe said those indirect measurements and his team’s latest direct measurement of a distant galaxy’s magnetic field “do not necessarily cast doubt on the leading theory of magnetic field generation, the mean-field-dynamo model, which predicts that the magnetic field strengths should be much weaker in galaxies in the cosmological past.”

“Our results present a challenge to the dynamo model, but they do not rule it out,” he added. “Rather the strong field that we detect is in gas with little if no star formation, and an interesting implication is that the presence of the magnetic fields is an important reason why star formation is very weak in these types of protogalaxies.”

Wow!interesting to see how much of a challenge this is going to represent to the dynamo model?


Bring it on

[rcglinsk]

There is no such thing as presenting a challenge to the dynamo model. It's not an idea built upon evidence.

[MGmirkin]

... in the October 2 issue of Nature, the astronomers report that the magnetic field they measured in this distant “protogalaxy” is at least 10 times greater than the average value in the Milky Way.

“This was a complete surprise,” said Arthur Wolfe

“Our results present a challenge to the dynamo model, but they do not rule it out,” he added.

his team’s latest direct measurement of a distant galaxy’s magnetic field “do not necessarily cast doubt on the leading theory of magnetic field generation, the mean-field-dynamo model

So, they "weren't expected," "present a challenge" but "don't cast doubt"... Lovely!

Lev Landau once said "Cosmologists are often in error, but never in doubt..." Seems apropos at this juncture!

Regards,
~Michael Gmirkin

[MGmirkin]

“We speculate that either we are seeing a field toward the central regions of a massive galaxy, since magnetic fields are known to be larger towards the centers of nearby galaxies. It is also possible that the field we detect has been amplified by a shock wave generated by the collision between two galaxies.”

How, precisely, does a shockwave between galaxy collisions produce an amplification of the magnetic field? Are they saying that colliding galaxies induce really really big electric currents in the galaxies? Plasma isn't a permanent magnet, so it's not like one's simply taking a bunch of aligned magnetic domains and squishing them together more tightly (as in some pulsed magnets using explosives). Besides, such a collision would probably knock the magnetic domains of any "permanent plasma magnet" (*cough* ) out of alignment...

Regards,
~Michael Gmirkin

[substance]

Wonderful! Every time something controversial comes up, they would think of an explanation, however absurd it may sound... We should start making short youtube videos and inform general people about astronomy`s failures, because they keep multiplying nowadays!

[saturnine]

Using a powerful radio telescope to peer into the early universe, a team of California astronomers has obtained the first direct measurement of a nascent galaxy’s magnetic field as it appeared 6.5 billion years ago.

So now we can measure how strong a distant magnetic field was 6.5 billion years ago? How does that work?

[junglelord]

How do they measure the magnetic fields at that distance is a great question. I need to find the answer, and I will do that today. It must be by inference and not direct measurements!

I found it

The strength and direction of the earth's magnetic field can only be determined by making measurements at the specific location, it can not be 'imaged' remotely. The only method for remote measurements of magnetic fields is by using the Zeeman Effect, and this requires measuring the light from excited atoms located in the magnetic field. This is how astronomers study and map the magnetic field in the sun, and in distant interstellar clouds where the effect can be detected in the 21 centimeter hydrogen-line radiation.

I have to laugh at the posting by Michael

Lev Landau once said "Cosmologists are often in error, but never in doubt..." Seems apropos at this juncture!

[StefanR]

How do they measure the magnetic fields at that distance is a great question.

Just happened to have posted this a little while ago, seems to apply to your question.

Radio astronomy aperture synthesis pictures of quasars or active galactic nuclei (AGN) within the special environment of clusters of galaxies reveal massive regions of coherent magnetic flux: Fig. 1, 3C465, 3C75, (Eilek and Owen, 1999) and Fig. 2, Hydra, (Taylor and Perley, 1993). This magnetic field is inferred using the technique of measuring the Faraday rotation by a foreground screen of the vector of polarized emission of an underlying, highly polarized source. In order for this effect to be observed, this screen must have: (1) a highly polarized source, (2) with small internal Rm, (3) lying behind, (4) a region of highly ordered Rm, (5) without significant emission, and (6) further requiring both a highly ordered field and (7) a uniform electron density. A modification of any one of these seven conditions rapidly averages a potentially large Rm to a negligible value. The fact that the field can be measured and is so strong, highly oriented, and uniform and furthermore that the electron density is equally as uniform over dimensions of 100 kpc or 10 times the size of our galaxy is truly extraordinary.

http://www.thunderbolts.info/wp/forum/phpB ... 631#p10631

[junglelord]

I just found this as well.

New missions may soon enable detection of very early magnetic fields through measuring the temperature and polarization anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background.

[MGmirkin]

Using a powerful radio telescope to peer into the early universe, a team of California astronomers has obtained the first direct measurement of a nascent galaxy’s magnetic field as it appeared 6.5 billion years ago.

So now we can measure how strong a distant magnetic field was 6.5 billion years ago? How does that work?

The "time" reference undoubtedly rests on assumptions about 'redshift == distance,' etc. As noted on one or two other forums. The magnetic field strength was determined by measuring "Faraday rotation." Has to do, I think, with polarized light and passing through "magnetized plasma" (*cough* ). Supposedly they can figure out how strong the magnetic field is by its effect on the light passing through & its polarization, or some such.

~Michael

[FS3]

Here´s the link to the complete pdf of the abstract. They took the MgII absorption rate by the method of "Faraday Rotation Measure" (RM) of a "candle" - provided by the polarized light of a quasar "behind" the galaxy in question by measuring the grade of rotation of the polarized light through the magnetic field of the galaxy in front of the quasar...

http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0807/0807.3347.pdf

How do they measure the magnetic fields at that distance is a great question. I need to find the answer, and I will do that today. It must be by inference and not direct measurements!

I found it...

Measurings done by a fake model through a wrong assumption mostly gives correct results...


FS3