In galaxies, magnetic fields can extend at least 1,000 light-years. And, thanks to some of today’s most powerful radio telescopes, astronomers are trying to understand how these vast fields were created and how they affect the galaxies they’re in.
Now, a team of astronomers has managed to make out the complex 3D structure of magnetic fields stretching out from the disk of a spiral galaxy called NGC 4631, or the “Whale Galaxy,” millions of light-years away. The team found that the fields have a complex pattern laid out in alternating directions — something never before seen in a galaxy. So, as the researchers study more galaxies with their techniques, they hope to untangle how these fields shape the evolution of galaxies.
The researchers describe their findings in a recent paper in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics and discuss potential explanations in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The finding ...
