scholarly journals ALMA reveals the coherence of the magnetic field geometry in OH 231.8+4.2

2020 ◽  
Vol 495 (4) ◽  
pp. 4297-4305
Author(s):  
L Sabin ◽  
R Sahai ◽  
W H T Vlemmings ◽  
Q Zhang ◽  
A A Zijlstra ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In a continuing effort to investigate the role of magnetic fields in evolved low- and intermediate-mass stars (principally regarding the shaping of their envelopes), we present new Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) high-resolution polarization data obtained for the nebula OH 231.8+4.2. We found that the polarized emission likely arises from aligned grains in the presence of magnetic fields rather than radiative alignment and self-scattering. The ALMA data show well organized electric field orientations in most of the nebula and the inferred magnetic field vectors (rotated by 90°) trace an hourglass morphology centred on the central system of the nebula. One region in the southern part of OH 231.8+4.2 shows a less organized distribution probably due to the shocked environment. These findings, in conjunction with earlier investigations (maser studies and dust emission analysis at other scales and wavelengths) suggest an overall magnetic hourglass located inside a toroidal field. We propose the idea that the magnetic field structure is closely related to the architecture of a magnetic tower and that the outflows were therefore magnetically launched. While the current dynamical effect of the fields might be weak in the equatorial plane principally due to the evolution of the envelope, it would still be affecting the outflows. In that regard, the measurement of the magnetic field at the stellar surface, which is still missing, combined with a full magnetohydrodynamic treatment are required to better understand and constrain the events occurring in OH 231.8+4.2.

1988 ◽  
Vol 132 ◽  
pp. 199-204
Author(s):  
Artie P. Hatzes

The magnetic Ap stars are characterized by the presence of large magnetic fields which undergo periodic variations. These magnetic field variations are accompanied by spectral variations caused by the inhomogeneous distribution of elements on the stellar surface. It is believed that the magnetic field plays an important role in determining this distribution. Accurate maps of the surface distribution of elements would provide valuable probes as to the field geometry as well as provide clues to the role of the magnetic fields in the atmospheres of these stars. We have developed a new technique for mapping the local equivalent width on a stellar surface from the observed spectral line variations.


1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M. Wright ◽  
D.K. Aitken ◽  
C.H. Smith ◽  
P.F. Roche

AbstractThe star-formation process is an outstanding and largely unsolved problem in astrophysics. The role of magnetic fields is unclear but is widely considered to be important at all stages of protostellar evolution, from cloud collapse to ZAMS. For example, in some hydromagnetic models, the field may assist in removing angular momentum, thereby driving accretion and perhaps bipolar outflows.Spectropolarimetry between 8 and 13μm provides information on the direction of the transverse component of a magnetic field through the alignment of dust grains. We present results of 8–13μm spectropolarimetric observations of a number of bipolar molecular outflow sources, and compare the field directions observed with the axes of the outflows and putative disk-like structures observed to be associated with some of the objects. There is a strong correlation, though so far with limited statistics, between the magnetic field and disk orientations. We compare our results with magnetic field configurations predicted by current models for hydromagnetically driven winds from the disks around Young Stellar Objects (YSOs). Our results appear to argue against the Pudritz and Norman model and instead seem to support the Uchida and Shibata model.


1968 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 127-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. I. Syrovatsky ◽  
Y. D. Zhugzhda

The convection in a compressible inhomogeneous conducting fluid in the presence of a vertical uniform magnetic field has been studied. It is shown that a new mode of oscillatory convection occurs, which exists in arbitrarily strong magnetic fields. The convective cells are stretched along the magnetic field, their horizontal dimensions are determined by radiative cooling. Criteria for convective instability in a polytropic atmosphere are obtained for various boundary conditions in the case when the Alfvén velocity is higher compared with the velocity of sound.The role of oscillatory convection in the origin of sunspots and active regions is discussed.


1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-102
Author(s):  
G.E. Brueckner

The crucial role of magnetic fields in any mechanism to heat the outer solar atmosphere has been generally accepted by all authors. However, there is still no agreement about the detailed function of the magnetic field. Heating mechanisms can be divided up into 4 classes: (I) The magnetic field plays a passive role as a suitable medium for the propagation of Alfvén waves from the convection zone into the corona (Ionson, 1984). (II) In closed magnetic structures the slow random shuffling of field lines by convective motions below the surface induces electric currents in the corona which heat it by Joule dissipation (Heyvaerts and Priest, 1984). (Ill) Emerging flux which is generated in the convection zone reacts with ionized material while magnetic field lines move through the chromosphere, transition zone and corona. Rapid field line annihilation, reconnection and drift currents result in heating and material ejection (Brueckner, 1987; Brueckner et al., 1987; Cook et al., 1987). (IV) Acoustic waves which could heat the corona can be guided by magnetic fields. Temperature distribution, wave motions and shock formation are highly dependent on the geometry of the flux tubes (Ulmschneider and Muchmore, 1986; Ulmschneider, Muchmore and Kalkofen, 1987).


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (A30) ◽  
pp. 101-101
Author(s):  
Juan D. Soler

AbstractThis review examines observations of magnetic fields in molecular clouds, that is, at spatial scales ranging from tens to tenths of parsecs and densities up to hundreds of particles per cubic centimetre. I will briefly summarize the techniques for observing and mapping magnetic fields in molecular clouds. I will review important examples of observational results obtained using each technique and their implications for our understanding of the role of the magnetic field in molecular cloud formation and evolution. Finally, I will briefly discuss the prospects for advances in our observational capabilities with telescopes and instruments now beginning operation or under construction.


1989 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Achilleos ◽  
D. T. Wickramasinghe

AbstractVarious authors have reported observations of the flux and circular polarization for the three stars PG 1658 + 441, PG 1533 − 057 and K 813 − 14. On the basis of the observational data, the stars were classified as magnetic white dwarfs. To place constraints on the magnetic field strengths and geometries of these stars, the relevant authors qualitatively compared the data with available theory and, in two cases, used a model of optically thin hydrogen threaded by a magnetic field.In this paper we use a more detailed model for magnetic white dwarfs to assess the results previously obtained for these three stars. We find that, in two cases, the observed spectra can be explained by the Zeeman splitting of hydrogen lines in a stellar magnetic field which takes the form of a dipole situated at the centre of the star. The circular polarization data for PG 1658 + 441, however, may indicate a field geometry for this star which is significally different from that of a centred dipole.


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (S302) ◽  
pp. 398-399
Author(s):  
L. Sabin ◽  
Q. Zhang ◽  
A. A. Zijlstra ◽  
N. A. Patel ◽  
R. Vázquez ◽  
...  

AbstractThe role of magnetic field in late type stars such as proto-planetary and planetary nebulae (PPNe/PNe), is poorly known from an observational point of view. We present submillimetric observations realized with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) which unveil the dust continuum polarization in the envelopes of two well known PPNe: CRL 618 and OH 231.8+4.2. Assuming the current grain alignment theory, we were then able to trace the geometry of the magnetic field.


Author(s):  
L.J Silvers

Magnetic fields are known to reside in many astrophysical objects and are now believed to be crucially important for the creation of phenomena on a wide variety of scales. However, the role of the magnetic field in the bodies that we observe has not always been clear. In certain situations, the importance of a magnetic field has been overlooked on the grounds that the large-scale magnetic field was believed to be too weak to play an important role in the dynamics. In this article I discuss some of the recent developments concerning magnetic fields in stars, planets and accretion discs. I choose to emphasize some of the situations where it has been suggested that weak magnetic fields may play a more significant role than previously thought. At the end of the article, I list some of the questions to be answered in the future.


2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques C. Richard ◽  
Benjamin M. Riley ◽  
Sharath S. Girimaji

We perform direct numerical simulations of decaying magnetohydrodynamic turbulence subject to initially uniform or random magnetic fields. We investigate the following features: (i) kinetic–magnetic energy exchange and velocity field anisotropy, (ii) action of Lorentz force, (iii) enstrophy and helicity behavior, and (iv) internal structure of the small scales. While tendency toward kinetic–magnetic energy equi-partition is observed in both uniform and random magnetic field simulations, the manner of approach to that state is very different in the two cases. Overall, the role of the Lorentz force is merely to bring about the equi-partition. No significant variance anisotropy of velocity fluctuations is observed in any of the simulations. The mechanism of enstrophy generation changes with the strength of the magnetic field, and helicity shows no significant growth in any of the cases. The small-scale structure (orientation between vorticity and strain-rate eigenvectors) does not appear to be influenced by the magnetic field.


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