Magnetic fields, outflows and feedback in spiral galaxies

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Spiral galaxies are surrounded by gaseous halos which show considerable structure and connect the interstellar medium (ISM, the gas between the stars) within the galaxy disk to the surrounding environment. The evidence is mounting that these halos are dynamic entities; that is, they manifest the expulsion of dust, gas (ionized, neutral and molecular), cosmic rays, and magnetic fields from galaxy disks. What is not yet clear is how many and what type of galaxy is more likely to display such halos, how much expelled material cycles back to the disk again, and how much material leaves the galaxy, enriching the intergalactic medium (IGM, the low density gas between galaxies). We know that such outflows (or `feedback') play a crucial role in the formation of galaxies, yet the nature and details of this activity are not well known. The evidence suggests that galaxy evolution (including that of our own Milky Way) is strongly influenced by such activity, yet we do not even know the main drivers of such activity.