1997/07/28 by Kari Enqvist, Enqvist, Kari
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph) #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #astro-ph #hep-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/9707300
19 pages LaTeX, 5 ps-figures, uses sprocl.sty; Invited Talk at the Strong and Electroweak Matter '97, Hungary
arxiv created 1997/07/28 · openalex publication_date 1997/07/28 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The observed galactic magnetic fields may have a primordial origin. I briefly review the observations, their interpretation in terms of the dynamo theory, and the current limits on cosmological magnetic fields. Several possible mechanisms for generating a primordial magnetic field are then discussed. Turbulence and the evolution of the microscopic fields to macroscopic fields is described in terms of a shell model, which provides an approximation to the full magnetohydrodynamics and indicates the existence of an inverse cascade of magnetic energy. Cosmological seed fields roughly of the order of 10-20 G at the scale of protogalaxy, as required by the dynamo explanation of galactic magnetic fields, seem rather plausible.