Constraints on Primordial Magnetic Fields from High Redshift Stellar Mass Density

TL;DR

This paper uses high-redshift stellar mass density data to place new constraints on primordial magnetic fields, showing their influence on early galaxy formation and interpreting recent JWST observations.

Contribution

It provides the first constraints on PMF parameters using SMD data at high redshift and explores their role in explaining early galaxy formation observed by JWST.

Findings

Upper limits on magnetic field amplitude: B_0 < 4.44 nG at 95% confidence.

Constraints on spectral index: n_B < -2.24 at 95% confidence.

PMF parameters can explain JWST early galaxy observations without high star formation efficiency.

Abstract

Primordial magnetic fields (PMFs) play a pivotal role in influencing small-scale fluctuations within the primordial density field, thereby enhancing the matter power spectrum within the context of the $\Lambda$CDM model at small scales. These amplified fluctuations accelerate the early formation of galactic halos and stars, which can be observed through advanced high-redshift observational techniques. Therefore, Stellar Mass Density (SMD) observations, which provide significant opportunities for detailed studies of galaxies at small scales and high redshifts, offer a novel perspective on small-scale cosmic phenomena and constrain the characteristics of PMFs. In this study, we compile 14 SMD data points at redshifts $z > 6$ and derive stringent constraints on the parameters of PMFs, which include the amplitude of the magnetic field at a characteristic scale of $\lambda=1\,{\rm Mpc}$, denoted as $B_0$, and the spectral index of the magnetic field power spectrum, $n_{\rm B}$. At 95\% confidence level, we establish upper limits of $B_0 < 4.44$ nG and $n_{\rm B} < -2.24$, along with a star formation efficiency of approximately $f_*^0 \sim 0.1$. If we fix $n_{\rm B}$ at specific values, such as $-2.85$, $-2.9$, and $-2.95$, the 95\% upper limits for the amplitude of the magnetic field can be constrained to 1.33 nG, 2.21 nG, and 3.90 nG, respectively. Finally, we attempt to interpret recent early observations provided by James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) using the theory of PMFs, and find that by selecting appropriate PMF parameters, it is possible to explain these results without significantly increasing the star formation efficiency.