528 research outputs found
Cosmic ray driven dynamo in galactic disks. A parameter study
We present a parameter study of the magnetohydrodynamical dynamo driven by
cosmic rays in the interstellar medium (ISM) focusing on the efficiency of
magnetic field amplification and the issue of energy equipartition between
magnetic, kinetic and cosmic ray (CR) energies. We perform numerical CR-MHD
simulations of the ISM using the extended version of ZEUS-3D code in the
shearing box approximation and taking into account the presence of Ohmic
resistivity, tidal forces and vertical disk gravity. CRs are supplied in
randomly distributed supernova (SN) remnants and are described by the
diffusion-advection equation, which incorporates an anisotropic diffusion
tensor. The azimuthal magnetic flux and total magnetic energy are amplified
depending on a particular choice of model parameters. We find that the most
favorable conditions for magnetic field amplification correspond to magnetic
diffusivity of the order of 3\times 10^{25} \cm^2\s^{-1}, SN rates close to
those observed in the Milky Way, periodic SN activity corresponding to spiral
arms, and highly anisotropic and field-aligned CR diffusion. The rate of
magnetic field amplification is relatively insensitive to the magnitude of SN
rates in a rage of spanning 10% up to 100% of realistic values. The timescale
of magnetic field amplification in the most favorable conditions is 150 Myr, at
galactocentric radius equal to 5 kpc. The final magnetic field energies
fluctuate near equipartition with the gas kinetic energy. In all models CR
energy exceeds the equipartition values by a least an order of magnitude, in
contrary to the expected equipartition. We suggest that the excess of cosmic
rays can be attributed to the fact that the shearing-box does not permit cosmic
rays to leave the system along the horizontal magnetic field.Comment: 12 papges, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Strong magnetic fields and large rotation measures in protogalaxies by supernova seeding
We present a model for the seeding and evolution of magnetic fields in
protogalaxies. Supernova (SN) explosions during the assembly of a protogalaxy
provide magnetic seed fields, which are subsequently amplified by compression,
shear flows and random motions. We implement the model into the MHD version of
the cosmological N-body / SPH simulation code GADGET and we couple the magnetic
seeding directly to the underlying multi-phase description of star formation.
We perform simulations of Milky Way-like galactic halo formation using a
standard LCDM cosmology and analyse the strength and distribution of the
subsequent evolving magnetic field. A dipole-shape divergence-free magnetic
field is injected at a rate of 10^{-9}G / Gyr within starforming regions, given
typical dimensions and magnetic field strengths in canonical SN remnants.
Subsequently, the magnetic field strength increases exponentially on timescales
of a few ten million years. At redshift z=0, the entire galactic halo is
magnetized and the field amplitude is of the order of a few G in the
center of the halo, and 10^{-9} G at the virial radius. Additionally, we
analyse the intrinsic rotation measure (RM) of the forming galactic halo over
redshift. The mean halo intrinsic RM peaks between redshifts z=4 and z=2 and
reaches absolute values around 1000 rad m^{-2}. While the halo virializes
towards redshift z=0, the intrinsic RM values decline to a mean value below 10
rad m^{-2}. At high redshifts, the distribution of individual starforming, and
thus magnetized regions is widespread. In our model for the evolution of
galactic magnetic fields, the seed magnetic field amplitude and distribution is
no longer a free parameter, but determined self-consistently by the star
formation process occuring during the formation of cosmic structures.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figures, accepted to MNRAS after moderate revisio
Cosmic rays can drive strong outflows from gas-rich high-redshift disk galaxies
We present simulations of the magnetized interstellar medium (ISM) in models
of massive star forming (40 Msun / yr) disk galaxies with high gas surface
densities (~100 Msun / pc^2) similar to observed star forming high-redshift
disks. We assume that type II supernovae deposit 10 per cent of their energy
into the ISM as cosmic rays and neglect the additional deposition of thermal
energy or momentum. With a typical Galactic diffusion coefficient for CRs (3e28
cm^2 / s) we demonstrate that this process alone can trigger the local
formation of a strong low density galactic wind maintaining vertically open
field lines. Driven by the additional pressure gradient of the relativistic
fluid the wind speed can exceed 1000 km/s, much higher than the escape velocity
of the galaxy. The global mass loading, i.e. the ratio of the gas mass leaving
the galactic disk in a wind to the star formation rate becomes of order unity
once the system has settled into an equilibrium. We conclude that relativistic
particles accelerated in supernova remnants alone provide a natural and
efficient mechanism to trigger winds similar to observed mass-loaded galactic
winds in high-redshift galaxies. These winds also help explaining the low
efficiencies for the conversion of gas into stars in galaxies as well as the
early enrichment of the intergalactic medium with metals. This mechanism can be
at least of similar importance than the traditionally considered momentum
feedback from massive stars and thermal and kinetic feedback from supernova
explosions.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted in ApJL; corrected titl
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