It’s not just your fridge that has magnets. Earth, stars, galaxies, and the space between galaxies are also magnetized. The more places scientists looked for magnetic fields in the universe, the more they found them. But the question of why this is so and where these magnetic fields come from remains a mystery and the subject of constant scientific research.

The magnetic field in the Hurricane galaxy (M51), imaged by NASA’s Flying Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), was superimposed on an image of the galaxy taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The image shows infrared images of dust particles in the M51 galaxy. Their magnetic orientation mostly follows the spiral shape of the galaxy, but also extends towards the neighboring galaxy on the right side of the frame. Image credit: NASA, SOFIA Science Group, A. Borlaff; NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI) and Hubble Legacy Team (STScI/AURA)

An idea about the origin of the magnetic field

A new research paper by Columbia University scientists offers insight into the origin of these fields. The research team used models to demonstrate that magnetic fields can arise spontaneously in turbulent plasma.

Plasma is a type of matter usually found in extremely hot environments such as the surface of the Sun, but plasma is also distributed throughout the universe in low-density environments such as the vast space between galaxies; The team’s research focused on low-density environments.

Their simulations showed that in addition to creating new magnetic fields, the turbulence of this plasma can strengthen magnetic fields after they are created. This helps explain how magnetic fields that occur at small scales can sometimes reach great distances.

Composite image showing the birth and growth of magnetic fields in a turbulent plasma, from weak fields at small scales (upper left) to strong fields at large scales (lower right). Credit: Columbia University

“This new research allows us to imagine the kinds of fields where magnetic fields are born: even in the most pristine, vast and remote areas of our universe, vibrating plasma particles in turbulent motion can spontaneously generate new magnetic fields,” Sironi said. Said. aforementioned

“The search for the ‘seed’ that could plant a new magnetic field has been long and we are pleased to present new evidence for this original source, as well as data on how a magnetic field can grow once it is born.” Source