IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v463y2010i7277d10.1038_nature08635.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A lower limit of 50 microgauss for the magnetic field near the Galactic Centre

Author

Listed:
  • Roland M. Crocker

    (School of Physics, Monash University
    Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, PO Box 103980, Heidelberg, Germany)

  • David I. Jones

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, PO Box 103980, Heidelberg, Germany
    School of Physics and Chemistry, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, South Australia 5005, Australia
    Australia Telescope National Facility, Marsfield, New South Wales 2122, Australia)

  • Fulvio Melia

    (The Applied Math Program, and Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA)

  • Jürgen Ott

    (National Radio Astronomical Observatory, Charlottesville, PO Box O, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, New Mexico 87801-0387, USA
    California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Caltech Astronomy, 105-24, Pasadena, California 91125, USA)

  • Raymond J. Protheroe

    (School of Physics and Chemistry, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, South Australia 5005, Australia)

Abstract

Centre of attraction There is ample evidence of a magnetic field near the centre of our Galaxy, but much uncertainty as to its strength. Estimates vary from the microgauss to the milligauss range — and values as great as 1,000 microgauss, about 10,000 times stronger than typical for the bulk of the Galaxy, have been reported. A new analysis of published radio and γ-ray data reveals a downward break in the region's non-thermal radio spectrum that suggests a Galactic Centre magnetic field of 50 microgauss or more. Taken with other evidence, the authors conclude that a field strength of about 100 microgauss is probable, on a par with that found in the inner regions of starburst galaxies.

Suggested Citation

  • Roland M. Crocker & David I. Jones & Fulvio Melia & Jürgen Ott & Raymond J. Protheroe, 2010. "A lower limit of 50 microgauss for the magnetic field near the Galactic Centre," Nature, Nature, vol. 463(7277), pages 65-67, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:463:y:2010:i:7277:d:10.1038_nature08635
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08635
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature08635
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/nature08635?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:463:y:2010:i:7277:d:10.1038_nature08635. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.