A 3D Model of the Local Bubble's Magnetic Field: Insights from Dust and Starlight Polarization

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Autori principali: O'Neill, Theo J., Goodman, Alyssa A., Soler, Juan D., Zucker, Catherine, Han, Jiwon Jesse
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author O'Neill, Theo J.
Goodman, Alyssa A.
Soler, Juan D.
Zucker, Catherine
Han, Jiwon Jesse
author_facet O'Neill, Theo J.
Goodman, Alyssa A.
Soler, Juan D.
Zucker, Catherine
Han, Jiwon Jesse
contents Clustered stellar feedback creates expanding voids in the magnetized interstellar medium known as superbubbles. Although theory suggests that superbubble expansion is influenced by interstellar magnetic fields, direct observational data on 3D superbubble magnetic field geometry is limited. The Sun's location inside the Local Bubble provides a unique opportunity to infer a superbubble's 3D magnetic field orientation, under the assumptions that: $\mathrm{I}$) the Local Bubble's surface is the primary contributor to plane-of-the-sky polarization observations across much of the sky, and $\mathrm{II}$) the Local Bubble's magnetic field is tangent to its dust-traced shell. In this work, we validate these assumptions and construct a model of the Local Bubble's 3D B-field orientation from $\textit{Planck}$ 353 GHz polarization observations and a 3D-dust-derived model of the Local Bubble's shell. We test Assumption $\mathrm{I}$ by examining correlations between the Local Bubble's 3D geometry, dust polarization, and starlight polarization. We find that the Local Bubble likely dominates the polarized signal in the majority of lines of sight. We jointly test Assumptions $\mathrm{I}$ and $\mathrm{II}$ by applying our reconstruction method to a simulated superbubble, where we successfully reconstruct the 3D magnetic field orientation over the bulk of its surface. Finally, we use our 3D B-field model to infer the initial magnetic field orientation in the solar neighborhood prior to the Local Bubble's formation, and derive an orientation parallel to the present-day Local Arm of the galaxy. These findings provide new insights into the co-evolution of superbubbles and the magnetized interstellar medium.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_17341
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A 3D Model of the Local Bubble's Magnetic Field: Insights from Dust and Starlight Polarization
O'Neill, Theo J.
Goodman, Alyssa A.
Soler, Juan D.
Zucker, Catherine
Han, Jiwon Jesse
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Clustered stellar feedback creates expanding voids in the magnetized interstellar medium known as superbubbles. Although theory suggests that superbubble expansion is influenced by interstellar magnetic fields, direct observational data on 3D superbubble magnetic field geometry is limited. The Sun's location inside the Local Bubble provides a unique opportunity to infer a superbubble's 3D magnetic field orientation, under the assumptions that: $\mathrm{I}$) the Local Bubble's surface is the primary contributor to plane-of-the-sky polarization observations across much of the sky, and $\mathrm{II}$) the Local Bubble's magnetic field is tangent to its dust-traced shell. In this work, we validate these assumptions and construct a model of the Local Bubble's 3D B-field orientation from $\textit{Planck}$ 353 GHz polarization observations and a 3D-dust-derived model of the Local Bubble's shell. We test Assumption $\mathrm{I}$ by examining correlations between the Local Bubble's 3D geometry, dust polarization, and starlight polarization. We find that the Local Bubble likely dominates the polarized signal in the majority of lines of sight. We jointly test Assumptions $\mathrm{I}$ and $\mathrm{II}$ by applying our reconstruction method to a simulated superbubble, where we successfully reconstruct the 3D magnetic field orientation over the bulk of its surface. Finally, we use our 3D B-field model to infer the initial magnetic field orientation in the solar neighborhood prior to the Local Bubble's formation, and derive an orientation parallel to the present-day Local Arm of the galaxy. These findings provide new insights into the co-evolution of superbubbles and the magnetized interstellar medium.
title A 3D Model of the Local Bubble's Magnetic Field: Insights from Dust and Starlight Polarization
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.17341