Seed Magnetic Fields Generated by Primordial Supernova Explosions

The origin of the magnetic field in galaxies is an open question in astrophysics. Several mechanisms have been proposed related, in general, with the generation of small seed fields amplified by a dynamo mechanism. In general, these mechanisms have difficulty in satisfying both the requirements of a sufficiently high strength for the magnetic field and the necessary large coherent scales. We show that the formation of dense and turbulent shells of matter, in the multiple explosion scenario of Miranda and Opher (1996, 1997) for the formation of the large-scale structures of the Universe, can naturally act as a seed for the generation of a magnetic field. During the collapse and explosion of Population III objects, a temperature gradient not parallel to a density gradient can naturally be established, producing a seed magnetic field through the Biermann battery mechanism. We show that seed magnetic fields $\sim 10^{-12}-10^{-14}G$ can be produced in this multiple explosion scenario on scales of the order of clusters of galaxies (with coherence length $L\sim 1.8Mpc$) and up to $\sim 4.5\times 10^{-10}G$ on scales of galaxies ($L\sim 100 kpc$).Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 5 pages (MN plain TeX macros v1.6 file). Also available at http://www.iagusp.usp.br/~oswaldo (click "OPTIONS" and then "ARTICLES"

Dependence of the MHD shock thickness on the finite electrical conductivity

The results of MHD plane shock waves with infinite electrical conductivity are generalized for a plasma with a finite conductivity. We derive the adiabatic curves that describe the evolution of the shocked gas as well as the change in the entropy density. For a parallel shock (i.e., in which the magnetic field is parallel to the normal to the shock front) we find an expression for the shock thickness which is a function of the ambient magnetic field and of the finite electrical conductivity of the plasma. We give numerical estimates of the physical parameters for which the shock thickness is of the order of, or greater than, the mean free path of the plasma particles in a strongly magnetized plasma.Comment: 8 pages, uses standard revtex, to appear in Journal of Plasma Physic

Generalized Non-Commutative Inflation

Non-commutative geometry indicates a deformation of the energy-momentum dispersion relation $f(E)\equiv\frac{E}{pc}(\neq 1)$ for massless particles. This distorted energy-momentum relation can affect the radiation dominated phase of the universe at sufficiently high temperature. This prompted the idea of non-commutative inflation by Alexander, Brandenberger and Magueijo (2003, 2005 and 2007). These authors studied a one-parameter family of non-relativistic dispersion relation that leads to inflation: the $\alpha$ family of curves $f(E)=1+(\lambda E)^{\alpha}$. We show here how the conceptually different structure of symmetries of non-commutative spaces can lead, in a mathematically consistent way, to the fundamental equations of non-commutative inflation driven by radiation. We describe how this structure can be considered independently of (but including) the idea of non-commutative spaces as a starting point of the general inflationary deformation of $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$. We analyze the conditions on the dispersion relation that leads to inflation as a set of inequalities which plays the same role as the slow roll conditions on the potential of a scalar field. We study conditions for a possible numerical approach to obtain a general one parameter family of dispersion relations that lead to successful inflation.Comment: Final version considerably improved; Non-commutative inflation rigorously mathematically formulate

A conceptual problem for non-commutative inflation and the new approach for non-relativistic inflationary equation of state

In a previous paper, we connected the phenomenological non-commutative inflation of Alexander, Brandenberger and Magueijo (2003) and Koh S and Brandenberger (2007) with the formal representation theory of groups and algebras and analyzed minimal conditions that the deformed dispersion relation should satisfy in order to lead to a successful inflation. In that paper, we showed that elementary tools of algebra allow a group like procedure in which even Hopf algebras (roughly the symmetries of non-commutative spaces) could lead to the equation of state of inflationary radiation. In this paper, we show that there exists a conceptual problem with the kind of representation that leads to the fundamental equations of the model. The problem comes from an incompatibility between one of the minimal conditions for successful inflation (the momentum of individual photons is bounded from above) and the group structure of the representation which leads to the fundamental inflationary equations of state. We show that such a group structure, although mathematically allowed, would lead to problems with the overall consistency of physics, like in scattering theory, for example. Therefore, it follows that the procedure to obtain those equations should be modified according to one of two possible proposals that we consider here. One of them relates to the general theory of Hopf algebras while the other is based on a representation theorem of Von Neumann algebras, a proposal already suggested by us to take into account interactions in the inflationary equation of state. This reopens the problem of finding inflationary deformed dispersion relations and all developments which followed the first paper of Non-commutative Inflation.Comment: Phys. Rev. D, 2013, in pres

Using foreCAT deflections and rotations to constrain the early evolution of CMEs

To accurately predict the space weather effects of the impacts of coronal mass ejection (CME) at Earth one must know if and when a CME will impact Earth and the CME parameters upon impact. In 2015 Kay et al. presented Forecasting a CME's Altered Trajectory (ForeCAT), a model for CME deflections based on the magnetic forces from the background solar magnetic field. Knowing the deflection and rotation of a CME enables prediction of Earth impacts and the orientation of the CME upon impact. We first reconstruct the positions of the 2010 April 8 and the 2012 July 12 CMEs from the observations. The first of these CMEs exhibits significant deflection and rotation (34° deflection and 58° rotation), while the second shows almost no deflection or rotation (<3° each). Using ForeCAT, we explore a range of initial parameters, such as the CME's location and size, and find parameters that can successfully reproduce the behavior for each CME. Additionally, since the deflection depends strongly on the behavior of a CME in the low corona, we are able to constrain the expansion and propagation of these CMEs in the low corona.C.K.'s research was supported by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at NASA GSFC, administered by the Universities Space Research Association under contract with NASA. A.V. acknowledges support from JHU/APL. R.C.C. acknowledges the support of NASA contract S-136361-Y to NRL. The SECCHI data are produced by an international consortium of the NRL, LMSAL, and NASA GSFC (USA), RAL and Univ. of Birmingham (UK), MPS (Germany), CSL (Belgium), IOTA and IAS (France). (JHU/APL; S-136361-Y - NASA)Published versio

Using ForeCAT Deflections and Rotations to Constrain the Early Evolution of CMEs

To accurately predict the space weather effects of coronal mass ejection (CME) impacts at Earth one must know if and when a CME will impact Earth, and the CME parameters upon impact. Kay et al. (2015b) presents Forecasting a CME's Altered Trajectory (ForeCAT), a model for CME deflections based on the magnetic forces from the background solar magnetic field. Knowing the deflection and rotation of a CME enables prediction of Earth impacts, and the CME orientation upon impact. We first reconstruct the positions of the 2008 April 10 and the 2012 July 12 CMEs from the observations. The first of these CMEs exhibits significant deflection and rotation (34 degrees deflection and 58 degrees rotation), while the second shows almost no deflection or rotation (<3 degrees each). Using ForeCAT, we explore a range of initial parameters, such as the CME location and size, and find parameters that can successfully reproduce the behavior for each CME. Additionally, since the deflection depends strongly on the behavior of a CME in the low corona (Kay et al. (2015a, 2015b)), we are able to constrain the expansion and propagation of these CMEs in the low corona.Comment: accepted in Ap