AbstractWe present radio continuum polarimetry observations of the nearby edge-on galaxy NGC 253 which possesses a very bright radio halo. Using the vertical synchrotron emission profiles and the lifetimes of cosmic-ray electrons, we determined the cosmic-ray bulk speed as 300±30 km s−1, indicating the presence of a galactic wind in this galaxy. The large-scale magnetic field was decomposed into a toroidal axisymmetric component in the disk and a poloidal component in the halo. The poloidal component shows a prominent X-shaped magnetic field structure centered on the nucleus, similar to the magnetic field observed in other edge-on galaxies. Faraday rotation measures indicate that the poloidal field has an odd parity (antisymmetric). NGC 253 offers the possibility to compare the magnetic field structure with models of galactic dynamos and/or galactic wind flows.
Context. Cosmic-ray propagation is strongly dependent on the large-scale configuration of the Galactic magnetic field. In particular, the Galactic center region provides highly interesting cosmic-ray data from gamma-ray maps and it is clear that a large fraction of the cosmic rays detected at Earth originate in this region of the Galaxy. Yet because of confusion from line-of-sight integration, the magnetic field structure in the Galactic center is not well known and no large-scale magnetic field model exists at present.
Aims. In this paper, we develop a magnetic field model, derived from observational data on the diffuse gas, nonthermal radio filaments, and molecular clouds.
Methods. We derive an analytical description of the magnetic field structure in the central molecular zone by combining observational data with the theoretical modeling of the basic properties of magnetic fields.
Results. We provide a first description of the large-scale magnetic field in the Galactic center region. We present first test simulations of cosmic-ray propagation and the impact of the magnetic field structure on the cosmic-ray distribution in the three dimensions.
Conclusions. Our magnetic field model is able to describe the main features of polarization maps; it is particularly important to note that they are significantly better than standard global Galactic magnetic field models. It can also be used to model cosmic-ray propagation in the Galactic center region more accurately.
Over the past two years, we have obtained high resolution high signal/noise (S/N) spectra of the magnetic Be star σ Ori E at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and McDonald Observatory. These spectra, which cover the spectral regions 399-417.5 and 440-458.5 nm and the Hα line and have typical S/N>200 and spectral resolution ≃0.02 nm, were obtained at a variety of rotational phases in order to study the magnetic field structure, the distribution of elements in the photosphere, and the effects of the magnetic field on the emission envelope. Our analysis of these spectra confirms, refines and extends the results obtained by Landstreet & Borra (1978), Groote & Hunger (1982 and references therein), and Nakajima (1985).The Hα emission is usually double-peaked, but it undergoes remarkable variations with the 1.19081 d rotational period of the star, which show that the emitting gas is localized into two regions which co-rotate with the star.
The acceleration of solar cosmic rays in association with certain solar flares is known to be highly correlated with the propagation of an MHD shock through the solar corona (Svestka, 1976). The spatial structure of the sources of solar cosmic rays will be determined by those regions of the corona which are accessible to the flare-induced shock. The regions to which the flare shock is permitted to propagate are determined by the large scale magnetic field structure in the corona. McIntosh (1972, 1979) has demonstrated that quiescent filaments form a single continuous feature (a “baseball stitch”) around the surface of the sun. It is known that helmet streamers overlie quiescent filaments (Pneuman, 1975), and these helmet streamers contain large magnetic neutral sheets which are oriented essentially radially. Hence the magnetic field structure in the low solar corona is characterized by a large-scale radial neutral sheet which weaves around the entire sun following the “baseball stitch”. There is therefore a high probability that as a shock propagates away from a flare, it will eventually encounter this large neutral sheet.
The magnetic field structure in NGC 253 in presence of a galactic wind