scholarly journals The Power of Low Frequencies: Faraday Tomography in the Sub-GHz Regime

Galaxies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron Van Eck

Faraday tomography, the study of the distribution of extended polarized emission by strength of Faraday rotation, is a powerful tool for studying magnetic fields in the interstellar medium of our Galaxy and nearby galaxies. The strong frequency dependence of Faraday rotation results in very different observational strengths and limitations for different frequency regimes. I discuss the role these effects take in Faraday tomography below 1 GHz, emphasizing the 100–200 MHz band observed by the Low Frequency Array and the Murchison Widefield Array. With that theoretical context, I review recent Faraday tomography results in this frequency regime, and discuss expectations for future observations.

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 399-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Beck

Abstract. The origin of magnetic fields in stars, galaxies and clusters is an open problem in astrophysics. The next-generation radio telescopes Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) and Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will revolutionize the study of cosmic magnetism. "The origin and evolution of cosmic magnetism" is a key science project for SKA. The planned all-sky survey of Faraday rotation measures (RM) at 1.4 GHz will be used to model the structure and strength of the magnetic fields in the intergalactic medium, the interstellar medium of intervening galaxies, and in the Milky Way. A complementary survey of selected regions at around 200 MHz is planned as a key project for LOFAR. Spectro-polarimetry applied to the large number of spectral channels available for LOFAR and SKA will allow to separate RM components from distinct foreground and background regions and to perform 3-D Faraday tomography of the interstellar medium of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. – Deep polarization mapping with LOFAR and SKA will open a new era also in the observation of synchrotron emission from magnetic fields. LOFAR's sensitivity will allow to map the structure of weak, extended magnetic fields in the halos of galaxies, in galaxy clusters, and possibly in the intergalactic medium. Polarization observations with SKA at higher frequencies (1–10 GHz) will show the detailed magnetic field structure within the disks and central regions of galaxies, with much higher angular resolution than present-day radio telescopes.


2002 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
pp. 3-10
Author(s):  
J. J. Condon

The primary goal of radio source surveys is to generate flux-limited samples. Sources selected at very low frequencies are dominated by unbeamed emission and give the only unbiased view of the parent populations used by “unification” models to account for the diversity of sources seen at high frequencies. Low-frequency surveys favor sources with exceptionally steep spectra. They include radio galaxies at high redshifts, radio halos of nearby galaxies, relic radio sources, diffuse cluster emission, pulsars that may be missed by traditional pulse searches, and a new class of unidentified compact sources. Flux densities from low-frequency surveys extend the spectra of known source populations to frequencies at which free-free and synchrotron absorption become significant and constrain basic source parameters. Finally, telescope fields-of-view scale ∝ λ2, so gridded surveys can be more efficient than directed observations of individual targets. This review covers recent and proposed low-frequency source surveys and their astronomical uses.


1987 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Hantos ◽  
B. Daroczy ◽  
B. Suki ◽  
S. Nagy

modified forced oscillatory technique was used to determine the respiratory mechanical impedances in anesthetized, paralyzed rats between 0.25 and 10 Hz. From the total respiratory (Zrs) and pulmonary impedance (ZL), measured with pseudorandom oscillations applied at the airway opening before and after thoracotomy, respectively, the chest wall impedance (ZW) was calculated as ZW = Zrs - ZL. The pulmonary (RL) and chest wall resistances were both markedly frequency dependent: between 0.25 and 2 Hz they contributed equally to the total resistance falling from 81.4 +/- 18.3 (SD) at 0.25 Hz to 27.1 +/- 1.7 kPa.l–1 X s at 2 Hz. The pulmonary compliance (CL) decreased mildly, from 2.78 +/- 0.44 at 0.25 Hz to 2.36 +/- 0.39 ml/kPa at 2 Hz, and then increased at higher frequencies, whereas the chest wall compliance declined monotonously from 4.19 +/- 0.88 at 0.25 Hz to 1.93 +/- 0.14 ml/kPa at 10 Hz. Although the frequency dependence of ZW can be interpreted on the basis of parallel inhomogeneities alone, the sharp fall in RL together with the relatively constant CL suggests that at low frequencies significant losses are imposed by the non-Newtonian resistive properties of the lung tissue.


2002 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
pp. 262-267
Author(s):  
Richard Wielebinski

Radio sky surveys give us basic information about the origin of the radio emission from the Galaxy. By mapping the sky at several radio frequencies a separation of the thermal and non-thermal emission components is possible. The major part of the low-frequency radio emission comes from the synchrotron process, the braking of relativistic electrons in magnetic fields. By mapping the linear polarization at several frequencies (required for the correction of the Faraday rotation) the orientation of the magnetic fields in the emitting regions can be deduced. Older all-sky surveys at 30, 150 and 408 MHz have now been supplemented by new observations of the Galaxy at 45 and 1420 MHz. These surveys, in addition to being important as tracers of the morphology of the magnetic fields in the Galaxy, are also required to correct for the ‘foreground’ features in cosmological studies of the COBE data and the PLANCK surveys in the future. Studies of the Galaxy in polarization have been made some years ago indicating high percentage of linear polarization in various directions. More recent work with good angular resolution has shown spectacular polarized intensity structures in selected regions. Low-frequency data with good angular resolution are urgently required for the interpretation of these features.Observations of nearby galaxies in radio continuum (both total power and polarized intensity) have given us the possibility to study magnetic fields in objects at known distances. Polarization observations of nearby galaxies have confirmed the existence of regular magnetic fields in practically every object so far studied. Originally data were obtained from large single-dish telescopes, notably from Effelsberg and Parkes. These data were greatly enhanced by the addition of higher resolution components from the VLA and ATCA respectively. These results indicate surprisingly homogeneous magnetic fields in most galaxies. High angular resolution observations with the GMRT at lower radio frequencies will add a new dimension to the data on galaxies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga García-Minguillán ◽  
Raquel Prous ◽  
Maria del Carmen Ramirez-Castillejo ◽  
Ceferino Maestú

The effects produced by electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on human beings at extremely low frequencies (ELFs) have being investigated in the past years, across in vitro studies, using different cell lines. Nevertheless, the effects produced on cells are not clarified, and the cellular mechanisms and cell-signaling processes involved are still unknown. This situation has resulted in a division among the scientific community about the adequacy of the recommended level of exposure. In this sense, we consider that it is necessary to develop long-term exposure studies and check if the recommended levels of EMFs are under thermal effects. Hence, we exposed CT2A cells to different EMFs at different ELFs at short and long times. Our results showed frequency dependence in CT2A exposed during 24 h to a small EMF of 30 μT equal to those originated by the Earth and frequency dependence after the exposure during seven days to an EMF of 100 µT at different ELFs. Particularly, our results showed a remarkable cell viability decrease of CT2A cells exposed to EMFs of 30 Hz. Nevertheless, after analyzing the thermal effects in terms of HSP90 expression, we did not find thermal damages related to the differences in cell viability, so other crucial cellular mechanism should be involved.


2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (6) ◽  
pp. 451-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Levon Pogosian ◽  
Tanmay Vachaspati ◽  
Amit Yadav

Cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization B modes induced by Faraday rotation (FR) can provide a distinctive signature of primordial magnetic fields because of their characteristic frequency dependence and because they are only weakly damped on small scales. FR also leads to mode-coupling correlations between the E- and B-type polarizations and between the temperature and the B mode. These additional correlations can further help distinguish magnetic fields from other sources of B modes. We review the FR-induced CMB signatures and present the constraints on primordial magnetism that can be expected from upcoming CMB experiments. Our results suggest that FR of CMB will be a promising probe of primordial magnetic fields.


Geophysics ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. EN57-EN67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rik Noorlandt ◽  
Guy Drijkoningen ◽  
Johan Dams ◽  
Rob Jenneskens

A linear synchronous motor (LSM) is an electric motor that can produce large controllable forces and is therefore suitable as a driving engine for a seismic vibrator. This motor consists of two independent elements, a magnet track and a coil track, allowing practically unlimited motor displacements. This makes the LSM very suitable for expanding the source frequency band to the lower frequencies in which larger strokes are needed. In contrast to hydraulic engines, the LSM performs equally well over the whole frequency range, making possible a smaller amount of signal distortion, especially at the low frequencies. To find the feasibility of an LSM-driven vibrator, we successfully designed and built a multi-LSM prototype vibrator of some 1200 kg. We addressed the synchronization between the individual motor tracks and the different motors. To lower the energy consumption, a spring mechanism was implemented that delivered the force needed to lift the vibrator mass to its neutral position. The resonance belonging to this spring mechanism was successfully suppressed with the help of a position feedback control that also suppressed the temperature effects. The seismic data acquired in the field tests proved that the prototype LSM vibrator acted very well as a seismic source. It has no trouble generating pseudorandom sweeps, and even given its limited size, it generated signals within the low-frequency regime, down to 2 Hz, rather easily.


Author(s):  
A. S. Hill

Modern radio spectrometers make measurement of polarized intensity as a function of Faraday depth possible. I investigate the effect of depolarization along a model line of sight. I model sightlines with two components informed by observations: a diffuse interstellar medium with a lognormal electron density distribution and a narrow, denser component simulating a spiral arm or H~{\sc ii} region, all with synchrotron-emitting gas mixed in. I then calculate the polarized intensity from 300-1800 MHz and calculate the resulting Faraday depth spectrum. The idealized synthetic observations show far more Faraday complexity than is observed in Global Magneto-Ionic Medium Survey observations. In a model with a very nearby H~{\sc ii} region observed at low frequencies, most of the effects of a ``depolarization wall'' are evident: the H~{\sc ii} region depolarizes background emission and less (but not zero) information from beyond the H~{\sc ii} region reaches the observer. In other cases, the effects are not so clear, as significant amounts of information reach the observer even through significant depolarization, and it is not clear that low-frequency observations sample largely different volumes of the interstellar medium than high-frequency observations. The observed Faraday depth can be randomized such that it does not always have any correlation with the true Faraday depth.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (S333) ◽  
pp. 151-156
Author(s):  
C. Sobey ◽  

AbstractThe Galactic magnetic field (GMF) plays a role in many astrophysical processes and is a significant foreground to cosmological signals, such as the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), but is not yet well understood. Dispersion and Faraday rotation measurements (DMs and RMs, respectively) towards a large number of pulsars provide an efficient method to probe the three-dimensional structure of the GMF. Low-frequency polarisation observations with large fractional bandwidth can be used to measure precise DMs and RMs. This is demonstrated by a catalogue of RMs (corrected for ionospheric Faraday rotation) from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), with a growing complementary catalogue in the southern hemisphere from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). These data further our knowledge of the three-dimensional GMF, particularly towards the Galactic halo. Recently constructed or upgraded pathfinder and precursor telescopes, such as LOFAR and the MWA, have reinvigorated low-frequency science and represent progress towards the construction of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will make significant advancements in studies of astrophysical magnetic fields in the future. A key science driver for the SKA-Low is to study the EoR, for which pulsar and polarisation data can provide valuable insights in terms of Galactic foreground conditions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (S337) ◽  
pp. 313-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Bondonneau ◽  
Jean-Mathias Grießmeier ◽  
Gilles Theureau ◽  
Maciej Serylak

AbstractThe pulsar’s signal passes through the interstellar medium (ISM) which leads to both chromatic dispersive delays and multipath pulse broadening. These effects have a strong frequency dependence (f−2 and f−4 respectively). Pulse profiles of pulsars are also frequency-dependent leading to some degeneracy with the ISM imprint. Furthermore, many pulsars show a turnover of their spectrum around ~100 MHz. For all these reasons, the frequency band below 100 MHz contains a lot of information about both the pulsar emission and the ISM. Our study is based on a LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) monitoring campaign using the international station FR606. Firstly, we demonstrate the importance of a monitoring campaign. Secondly, we calculate median spectra and locate the turnover frequency for 3 pulsars (B0809+74, B1133+16, B1508+55).


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