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arXiv 0807.1532astro-ph
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小麦哲伦云磁场的射电和光学偏振研究

A Radio and Optical Polarization Study of the Magnetic Field in the Small Magellanic Cloud

S. A. Mao, B. M. Gaensler, S. Stanimirovic, M. Haverkorn, N. M. McClure-Griffiths, L. Staveley-Smith, J. M. Dickey

摘要:

利用射电法拉第旋转和光学星光偏振数据对小麦哲伦云(SMC)的磁场进行了研究。SMC上一致的负旋转测量(RM)表明,视线磁场均匀地远离我们,强度为0.19 +/- 0.06微高斯。将拉塞卡-费米方法应用于星光偏振数据,在天空平面上产生了一个有序的磁场,强度为1.6 +/- 0.4微高斯,方位角为4 +/- 12度,从连接SMC和大麦云(LMC)的天空大圆逆时针测量。我们构造了一个三维的磁场模型的SMC,在假设的RM和星光偏振探测相同的基础上的大尺度场。定义SMC磁场的总体方向的矢量显示出与连接SMC中心和LMC中心的矢量的潜在对齐,表明“泛麦哲伦”磁场的可能性。宇宙射线驱动的发电机是对观测到的场的几何形状最可行的解释,但难以解释观测到的单向场线。需要通过麦哲伦桥研究法拉第旋转,以进一步验证泛麦哲伦场假设。

英文摘要:

We present a study of the magnetic field of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), carried out using radio Faraday rotation and optical starlight polarization data. Consistent negative rotation measures (RMs) across the SMC indicate that the line-of-sight magnetic field is directed uniformly away from us with a strength 0.19 +/- 0.06 microGauss. Applying the Chandrasekhar-Fermi method to starlight polarization data yields an ordered magnetic field in the plane of the sky of strength 1.6 +/- 0.4 microGauss oriented at a position angle 4 +/- 12 degs, measured counter-clockwise from the great circle on the sky joining the SMC to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We construct a three-dimensional magnetic field model of the SMC, under the assumption that the RMs and starlight polarization probe the same underlying large-scale field. The vector defining the overall orientation of the SMC magnetic field shows a potential alignment with the vector joining the center of the SMC to the center of the LMC, suggesting the possibility of a "pan-Magellanic'' magnetic field. A cosmic-ray driven dynamo is the most viable explanation of the observed field geometry, but has difficulties accounting for the observed uni-directional field lines. A study of Faraday rotation through the Magellanic Bridge is needed to further test the pan-Magellanic field hypothesis.

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