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Spontaneous magnetization of collisionless plasma.

ABSTRACT: SignificanceAstronomical observations indicate that dynamically important magnetic fields are ubiquitous in the Universe, while their origin remains a profound mystery. This work provides a paradigm for understanding the origin of cosmic magnetism by taking into account the effects of the microphysics of collisionless plasmas on macroscopic astrophysical processes. We demonstrate that the first magnetic fields can be spontaneously generated in the Universe by generic motions of astrophysical turbulence through kinetic plasma physics, and cosmic plasmas are thereby ubiquitously magnetized. Our theoretical and numerical results set the stage for determining how these "seed" magnetic fields are further amplified by the turbulent dynamo (another central and long-standing question) and thus advance a fully self-consistent explanation of cosmic magnetogenesis.

SUBMITTER: Zhou M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9171611 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Spontaneous magnetization of collisionless plasma.

Zhou Muni M Zhdankin Vladimir V Kunz Matthew W MW Loureiro Nuno F NF Uzdensky Dmitri A DA

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20220505 19

SignificanceAstronomical observations indicate that dynamically important magnetic fields are ubiquitous in the Universe, while their origin remains a profound mystery. This work provides a paradigm for understanding the origin of cosmic magnetism by taking into account the effects of the microphysics of collisionless plasmas on macroscopic astrophysical processes. We demonstrate that the first magnetic fields can be spontaneously generated in the Universe by generic motions of astrophysical tur ...[more]

PMID: 35512093

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