Collaborative Research: A Comprehensive Theoretical Study of Cosmological Magnetic Fields and Turbulence: from the Early to Late Time Universe

合作研究：宇宙磁场和湍流的综合理论研究：从宇宙早期到晚期

• 批准号: 2307699
• 负责人: Mark Vogelsberger
• 金额: $ 31.81万
• 依托单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2307699&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Comprehensive; Theoretical; Study

The invisible magnetic fields permeate our Universe everywhere, at different length scales ranging from planets (as Earth’s magnetic field) and stars (as Sun’s magnetic field) to the large-scale fields observed in galaxies (as the Milky Way – our Galaxy’s magnetic field) and galaxy clusters, and even at larger scales filling the space between galaxy clusters. Recent observational data suggest the existence of magnetic fields in voids – the emptiest and darkest regions – as well. Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology propose to carry out a theoretical research program aimed at understanding the origin of cosmic magnetism, which is one of the most challenging questions in modern astrophysics that impacts scales from the space surrounding Earth to the faraway regions of the Universe. As part of this project, the PIs will participate in a series of public outreach activities, with programming designed to engage local middle and high school students and teachers, disabled veterans, as well as the general public.The focus of this research program is to investigate the origin, evolution and observational consequences of cosmic magnetic fields, including physical processes in the early-universe as well as in the interstellar medium. It is commonly assumed that the observed cosmic magnetic fields originated from the weak seed fields of unknown origin. Two basic scenarios are generally considered: (1) a bottom-up (astrophysical) scenario, where the seed is typically very weak and the magnetic field is transferred from local sources within galaxies to larger scales; (2) a top-down (cosmological) scenario, where a strong seed field is generated prior to galaxy formation in the early universe on scales that are now large. This project will investigate the top-down scenario in order to illuminate the role of magnetic fields as a probe of fundamental physics. The physics of primordial magnetogenesis can be broken down into three main motifs that are addressed in the research program: the generation of a magnetic field in the early universe, the evolution of this field subject to magnetohydrodynamic effects through the various cosmological epochs, and the detection of this magnetic field with a comprehensive array of astrophysical and cosmological observations. To study these processes, the team will perform coherent theoretical and computational modeling as well as statistical analysis used to interpret the simulations and observational data. This work will provide the tools needed to discriminate between different magnetogenesis scenarios, and will establish whether the observed cosmic magnetic fields require physics beyond the Standard Model of cosmology and particle physics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

看不见的磁场在各处渗透到我们的宇宙，以不同的长度尺度，从行星（作为地球的磁场）和恒星（作为太阳的磁场）到星系中观察到的大规模田地（作为银河系 - 我们的银河系磁场）和星系簇，甚至在较大的尺度上填充了星系星系的较大空间。最近的观察数据表明，空隙中存在磁场（最空旷，最黑暗的区域）。卡内基·梅隆大学（Carnegie Mellon University）和马萨诸塞州技术研究所的科学家提出了一项旨在理解宇宙磁性起源的理论研究计划，这是现代天体物理学中最挑战的问题之一，它影响了从周围地球周围的范围到宇宙范围区域的范围。作为该项目的一部分，PIS将参加一系列公共宣传活动，旨在参与当地的中学生和老师，残疾退伍军人以及公众的节目。该研究计划的重点是研究宇宙磁场的起源，进化和观察性的影响，包括早期的磁场以及internellar in intersellar in intersellar in intersellar interstellar中。通常认为观察到的宇宙磁场起源于未知来源的弱种子场。通常考虑两种基本情况：（1）一个自下而上的（天体物理）场景，其中种子通常非常弱，并且磁场从星系中的局部来源转移到更大的尺度； （2）自上而下的（宇宙学）场景，该场景在早期宇宙中在现在很大的尺度上形成星系之前就产生了一个强的种子场。该项目将研究自上而下的情况，以阐明磁场的作用作为基本物理学的探测。原始磁化的物理学可以分为研究计划中解决的三个主要基序：早期宇宙中的磁场的产生，该领域的演变会通过各种宇宙学上的磁性流体动力效应，以及通过该磁场的检测，并以人工学和化学物质观察的全面磁场检测。为了研究这些过程，团队将执行连贯的理论和计算建模以及用于解释模拟和观察数据的统计分析。这项工作将提供区分不同磁化场景所需的工具，并将确定观察到的宇宙磁场是否需要物理，而不是宇宙学和粒子物理学的标准模型。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查的审查标准来通过评估来获得的支持。