The farthest magnetic field is measured by astronomers; To look

According to a recent study published in the scientific journal Nature, a team of astronomers managed to use data obtained from the light emitted by a cosmic object to identify the most distant magnetic field ever found by humanity. The light was emitted by the galaxy known as 9io9, probably only 2.5 billion years after the big ‘bang’ caused by the Big Bang.

According to the study, this is the farthest observation of a magnetic field that scientists have been able to measure to date. Mapping the area could help astronomers seek answers to how the universe works, researchers say.

To date, scientists do not understand how galactic fields work; They realized that not only the galaxy and the gas within it were also rotating. This movement may be responsible for keeping the magnetic field working. In any case, they argue, it is a much weaker field compared to, for example, the Milky Way’s field of between 25 and 60 microgauss.

“Many people may not be aware that our entire galaxy and other galaxies are filled with magnetic fields spanning tens of thousands of light-years. This discovery gives us new clues about how magnetic fields form on the galactic scale,” said study author and astrophysicist James Geach of the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.

oldest magnetic field

Earth’s magnetic field has recorded between 0.22 and 0.67 gauss at the surface and is created by fluid circulating inside the planet. Although it is a common thing in the universe, normally supported by the electrically conductive material of a cosmic object, science still does not know how galactic magnetic fields begin or what the necessary processes are for their ‘functioning’.

It is possible for the magnetic fields of galaxies to appear like the Earth’s magnetic field, meaning that the galaxy is rotating and the gas inside it is also rotating. This movement is probably what keeps 9io9’s magnetic field active. The study adds: 9io9’s field is similar to that of other nearby galaxies but is about a thousand times weaker than Earth’s field.

Another possibility is that star formation is one of the factors responsible for the development of galaxies’ magnetic fields, which can subsequently influence star formation.

“Magnetic fields are fundamental to the evolution of galaxies and play a fundamental role in the astrophysics of the interstellar medium and star formation. Large-scale regular magnetic fields have been mapped in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, but it is unknown when these structures formed in the Universe,” the study explained.

Did you like the content? So always keep up to date with your curiosities about the world and astronomy at TecMundo, and I took the opportunity to find out how old the Universe is.