Magnetic fields - from the early to the contempory Universe

by Prof. Kandaswamy Subramanian (Inter University Centre for Astronomy Astrophysics)

Friday 11 Apr 2008, 10:30 → 11:30 Europe/Stockholm

Nordita Seminar Room

Coherent large scale magnetic fields have been observed in many objects probed till now, including galaxies and even the intergalactic space in clusters of galaxies. Their origin and evolution continues to remain intriguing. We discuss a number of possibilities, from their origin during the period of inflation or symmetry breaking phase transitions in the very early universe, to battery and dynamo effects in the later universe. Primordial fields may reveal themselves, by leaving interesting signals in the Cosmic Microwave background radiation, and also by affecting early structure formation in crucial ways. We also discuss the current status of the astrophysical battery and dynamo mechanisms needed to amplify and maintain cosmic magnetic fields. We end with a brief, subjective summary of the program on Turbulence and Dynamos, currently running at Nordita.