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Detection of a Coherent Magnetic Field in the Magellanic Bridge through Faraday Rotation
- Source :
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. :stx206
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- Oxford University Press (OUP), 2017.
-
Abstract
- We present an investigation into the magnetism of the Magellanic Bridge, carried out through the observation of Faraday rotation towards 167 polarized extragalactic radio sources spanning the continuous frequency range of 1.3 - 3.1 GHz with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Comparing measured Faraday depth values of sources 'on' and 'off' the Bridge, we find that the two populations are implicitly different. Assuming that this difference in populations is due to a coherent field in the Magellanic Bridge, the observed Faraday depths indicate a median line-of-sight coherent magnetic-field strength of $B_{\parallel}\,\simeq\,0.3\,\mu$G directed uniformly away from us. Motivated by the varying magnitude of Faraday depths of sources on the Bridge, we speculate that the coherent field observed in the Bridge is a consequence of the coherent magnetic fields from the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds being pulled into the tidal feature. This is the first observation of a coherent magnetic field spanning the entirety of the Magellanic Bridge and we argue that this is a direct probe of a 'pan-Magellanic' field.<br />Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures
- Subjects :
- Physics
010308 nuclear & particles physics
Endowment
FOS: Physical sciences
Astronomy
Library science
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
01 natural sciences
Space and Planetary Science
Research council
Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA)
0103 physical sciences
Commonwealth
010303 astronomy & astrophysics
Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 13652966 and 00358711
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c10293167a9a8972f0c70940ed37631c
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx206