Primordial magnetic fields and CP violation in the sky

Abstract

It has been argued that electroweak baryogenesis generates a left-handed primordial magnetic field. The helicity density of the primordial magnetic field today is estimated to be $\sim 10^2{n}_b$ where $n_b\sim 10^{-6}$ /cm${}^3$ is the present cosmological baryon number density. With certain assumptions about the inverse cascade the field strength at recombination is $\sim 10^{-13}$ G on a coherence scale $\sim 10^{-4}$ pc. Here I discuss the various assumptions made in obtaining these estimates and the concomitant open issues.

Based on invited talk at COSMO-01 workshop, Rovaniemi, Finland, August 29-September 4. 6 pages