A Galactic Scale Magnetized Wind Around a Normal Star-Forming Galaxy

TL;DR

This study presents radio observations of a normal star-forming galaxy revealing magnetized, large-scale outflows likely driven by cosmic-ray pressure, providing new insights into galactic wind mechanisms.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed radio evidence of a magnetized, cosmic-ray-driven wind in a normal galaxy, expanding understanding of galactic outflows beyond starburst systems.

Findings

Magnetized radio loops extend ~10 kpc from the galaxy disk.

No detectable gas or dust associated with the outflows far from the disk.

Supports cosmic-ray pressure as a key driver of galactic winds.

Abstract

Galaxy formation theory identifies superwinds as a key regulator of star formation rates, galaxy growth, and chemical enrichment. Thermal and radiation pressure are known to drive galactic-scale winds in dusty starbursting galaxies (e.g. M82), but modern numerical simulations have recently highlighted that cosmic-ray (CR) driven winds may be especially important in normal galaxies with modest star formation rate surface densities. However, CR-driven winds have yet to be conclusively observed -- leaving significant uncertainty in their detailed microphysics. We present MeerKAT radio continuum and HI spectral-line observations of one such normal galaxy, NGC 1532; a nearby ($D\sim15\,\mathrm{Mpc}$) and edge-on ($i \gtrsim 80^{\circ}$) spiral galaxy tidally interacting with its smaller elliptical companion, NGC 1531. We find magnetized, highly-ordered radio continuum loops extending $\sim10$ kpc above and below the disk; visibly connecting discrete star-forming regions in the disk with the nucleus. The deep MeerKAT HI observations place an upper limit on the column density of neutral gas coincident with the outflow to $N_\mathrm{HI} \lesssim 3 \times 10^{19}\,\mathrm{cm}^{-2}$. Unlike previously observed outflows -- for which ejected gas and dust can be traced across multiple wavelengths -- the loops in NGC 1532 show no detectable signs of dust or gas coincident with the radio emission far from the disk. We explore multiple possible mechanisms for driving this magnetic wind and favor an explanation where cosmic-ray pressure plays a significant role in launching these outflows.