The Galactic magnetic field and its lensing of ultrahigh energy and Galactic cosmic rays

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent progress in understanding the Galactic magnetic field and its effects on the propagation and lensing of cosmic rays, which is vital for astrophysics and cosmology research.

Contribution

It provides an overview of recent advances in characterizing the Galactic magnetic field and its influence on cosmic ray transport and lensing effects.

Findings

Improved models of the Galactic magnetic field structure

Enhanced understanding of cosmic ray lensing effects

Implications for dark matter and CMB studies

Abstract

It has long been recognized that magnetic fields play an important role in many astrophysical environments, yet the strength and structure of magnetic fields beyond our solar system have been at best only qualitatively constrained. The Galactic magnetic field in particular is crucial for modeling the transport of Galactic CRs, for calculating the background to dark matter and CMB-cosmology studies, and for determining the sources of UHECRs. This report gives a brief overview of recent major advances in our understanding of the Galactic magnetic field (GMF) and its lensing of Galactic and ultrahigh energy cosmic rays.