138 research outputs found
Generation of the Primordial Magnetic Fields during Cosmological Reionization
We investigate the generation of magnetic field by the Biermann battery in
cosmological ionization fronts, using new simulations of the reionization of
the universe by stars in protogalaxies. Two mechanisms are primarily
responsible for magnetogenesis: i) the breakout of I-fronts from protogalaxies,
and ii) the propagation of I-fronts through the high density neutral filaments
which are part of the cosmic web. The first mechanism is dominant prior to
overlapping of ionized regions (z ~ 7), whereas the second continues to operate
even after that epoch. However, after overlap the field strength increase is
largely due to the gas compression occurring as cosmic structures form. As a
consequence, the magnetic field at z ~ 5 closely traces the gas density, and it
is highly ordered on megaparsec scales. The mean mass-weighted field strength
is B_0 ~ 10^{-19} G in the simulation box. There is a relatively well-defined,
nearly linear correlation between B_0 and the baryonic mass of virialized
objects, with B_0 ~ 10^{-18} G in the most massive objects (M ~ 10^9 M_sun) in
our simulations. This is a lower limit, as lack of numerical resolution
prevents us from following small scale dynamical processes which could amplify
the field in protogalaxies. Although the field strengths we compute are
probably adequate as seed fields for a galactic dynamo, the field is too small
to have had significant effects on galaxy formation, on thermal conduction, or
on cosmic ray transport in the intergalactic medium. It could, however, be
observed in the intergalactic medium through innovative methods based on
analysis of gamma-ray burst photon arrival times.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ. MPEG movies and color versions of
figures are available at
http://casa.colorado.edu/~gnedin/GALLERY/magfi_p.htm
On the Moduli Space of the Orbifold and Its Modular Group
We describe the duality group for the Narain lattice of
the orbifold and its action on the corresponding moduli space. A
symplectic embedding of the momenta and winding numbers allows us to connect
the orbifold lattice to the special geometry of the moduli space. As an
application, a formal expression for an automorphic function, which is a
candidate for a non--perturbative superpotential, is given.Comment: 15 page
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