A new view of magnetic fields in the early Universe

About This Grant

Planet Earth has a magnetic field that makes compasses work. Similarly, we know that galaxies have remarkably strong magnetic fields. This program will study the origin of magnetic fields in galaxies, and how they came to be as strong as they are today. To achieve its scientific objectives, this program will use data obtained by the NSF-funded ALMA observatory. With ALMA, the investigators will observe galaxies that are actively forming stars to better understand the evolution of magnetic fields over cosmic time. This program will also support the PhD thesis of a graduate student. The research team will partner with existing organizations and establish a summer research program for formerly incarcerated undergraduate students. These students will receive training in physics, mathematics, and data analysis. This program will use ALMA observations of B-fields in five dusty-star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) at high redshift. By combining these observations with numerical magnetohydrodynamical cosmological simulations, this program will obtain analytical solutions, from first principles using spacetime metrics, to physically interpret the polarization properties in gravitationally lensed DSFGs. It will also measure the presence of large-scale ordered B-fields in rotating disks at z~4 and B-fields at the Epoch of Reionization and quantify the role of B-fields and star-formation activity across redshift. With a consistent approach to analyzing the ALMA polarimetric observations the investigators in this program will provide statistical results and breakthroughs in our understanding of cosmic magnetism. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.