Dispersal of Galactic Magnetic Fields into Intracluster Space

TL;DR

This paper investigates how galactic magnetic fields are dispersed into intracluster space using hydrodynamical simulations, predicting their distribution and properties consistent with observations.

Contribution

It introduces the Enzo-Galcon simulation code to model the dispersal of galactic magnetic fields during cluster formation, a novel approach in this context.

Findings

Predicted magnetic field distribution matches observed Faraday rotation measures.

Simulations show the evolution of magnetic field strength and profile across galaxy clusters.

Dispersal processes can explain the presence of magnetic fields in intracluster space.

Abstract

Little is known about the origin and basic properties of magnetic fields in clusters of galaxies. High conductivity in magnetized interstellar plasma suggests that galactic magnetic fields are (at least partly) ejected into intracluster (IC) space by the same processes that enrich IC gas with metals. We explore the dispersal of galactic fields by hydrodynamical simulations with our new {\em Enzo-Galcon} code, which is capable of tracking a large number galaxies during cluster assembly, and modeling the processes that disperse their interstellar media. Doing so we are able to describe the evolution of the mean strength of the field and its profile across the cluster. With the known density profile of dispersed gas and an estimated range of coherence scales, we predict the spatial distribution of Faraday rotation measure and find it to be consistent with observational data.