Can galactic magnetic fields diffuse into the voids?

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Ghosh, Oindrila, Brandenburg, Axel, Caprini, Chiara, Neronov, Andrii, Vazza, Franco
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Ghosh, Oindrila
Brandenburg, Axel
Caprini, Chiara
Neronov, Andrii
Vazza, Franco
author_facet Ghosh, Oindrila
Brandenburg, Axel
Caprini, Chiara
Neronov, Andrii
Vazza, Franco
contents Cosmic voids are magnetized at the level of at least $10^{-17}$ G on Mpc scales, as implied by blazar observations. We show that an electrically conducting plasma is present in the voids, and that, because of the plasma, \emph{diffusion} into the voids of galactic fields generated by a mean-field dynamo is far too slow to explain the present-day void magnetization. Indeed, we show that even in the presence of turbulence in the voids, dynamo-generated galactic fields diffuse out to a galactocentric radius of only 200-400 kpc. Therefore, it is challenging to meet the required volume filling-factor of the void magnetic field. We conclude that a primordial origin remains the most natural explanation to the space-filling weak fields in voids.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_26918
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Can galactic magnetic fields diffuse into the voids?
Ghosh, Oindrila
Brandenburg, Axel
Caprini, Chiara
Neronov, Andrii
Vazza, Franco
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Cosmic voids are magnetized at the level of at least $10^{-17}$ G on Mpc scales, as implied by blazar observations. We show that an electrically conducting plasma is present in the voids, and that, because of the plasma, \emph{diffusion} into the voids of galactic fields generated by a mean-field dynamo is far too slow to explain the present-day void magnetization. Indeed, we show that even in the presence of turbulence in the voids, dynamo-generated galactic fields diffuse out to a galactocentric radius of only 200-400 kpc. Therefore, it is challenging to meet the required volume filling-factor of the void magnetic field. We conclude that a primordial origin remains the most natural explanation to the space-filling weak fields in voids.
title Can galactic magnetic fields diffuse into the voids?
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.26918