The study, published in the book Advancing Astrophysics with the SKA II, explains how future observations could distinguish between different hypotheses about the origin of cosmic magnetic fields. The work was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the University of Bologna and the National Institute for Astrophysics of Italy.
Magnetic fields, present in stars, galaxies, and the gas between them, influence star formation and the movement of charged particles, but their origin remains uncertain. The key question is whether they emerged in the early universe or were generated later.
The researchers propose using radio signals from distant galaxies to study the cosmic web. As these signals pass through ionized and magnetized gas, their polarization orientation rotates (Faraday rotation), providing information about the magnetic fields encountered. SKA-Low will offer a much denser network of these probes than current comparable surveys.
If some magnetic fields have a primordial origin, their lingering traces could reveal the physical conditions of an era long before the first stars began to shine. Determining their origin would provide new evidence about the physics of the early universe.
Shane P. O'Sullivan's team at the UCM combines radio observations with cosmological simulations to study cosmic magnetism and prepare for the SKA era.
Spain's participation in the SKA Observatory, coordinated by the Andalusian Institute of Astrophysics (IAA-CSIC), offers opportunities to its scientific community and industry. The UCM will host Extragalactic Continuum Science in the SKA Era, a national meeting to prepare researchers for the first SKA observations.
