The LOFAR Magnetism Key Science Project

TL;DR

The LOFAR Magnetism Key Science Project aims to explore cosmic magnetism using low-frequency radio observations, employing diverse techniques to study magnetic fields across various cosmic structures and scales.

Contribution

This project introduces new observational strategies and calibration methods with LOFAR to map and understand cosmic magnetic fields in unprecedented detail.

Findings

Detection of magnetic fields in intergalactic space.

High-resolution mapping of magnetic structures in galaxies.

Revolutionary detail in Galactic magnetic field measurements.

Abstract

Measuring radio waves at low frequencies offers a new window to study cosmic magnetism, and LOFAR is the ideal radio telescope to open this window widely. The LOFAR Magnetism Key Science Project (MKSP) draws together expertise from multiple fields of magnetism science and intends to use LOFAR to tackle fundamental questions on cosmic magnetism by exploiting a variety of observational techniques. Surveys will provide diffuse emission from the Milky Way and from nearby galaxies, tracking the propagation of long-lived cosmic-ray electrons through magnetic field structures, to search for radio halos around spiral and dwarf galaxies and for magnetic fields in intergalactic space. Targeted deep-field observations of selected nearby galaxies and suspected intergalactic filaments allow sensitive mapping of weak magnetic fields through Rotation Measure (RM) grids. High-resolution observations of protostellar jets and giant radio galaxies reveal structures on small physical scales and at high redshifts, whilst pulsar RMs map large-scale magnetic structures of the Galactic disk and halo in revolutionary detail. The MKSP is responsible for the development of polarization calibration and processing, thus widening the scientific power of LOFAR.