Magnetic fields in merging spirals - the Antennae

Abstract

We present an extensive study of magnetic fields in a system of merging galaxies. We obtained for NGC4038/39 (the Antennae) radio total intensity and polarization maps at 8.44, 4.86 and 1.49GHz using the VLA in the C and D configurations. The radio thermal fraction was found to be about 50% at 10.45GHz, higher than in normal spirals. The mean total magnetic fields in both galaxies are about two times stronger (20microG) than in normal spirals. However,the degree of field regularity is rather low, implying tangling of the regular component in regions with interaction-enhanced star formation. Our data combined with those in HI, Halpha, X-rays and in far infrared allow us to study local interrelations between different gas phases and magnetic fields. We distinguish several radio-emitting regions with different physical properties and at various evolutionary stages. The whole overlapping region shows a coherent magnetic field structure, probably tracing the line of collision between the arms of merging spirals while the total radio emission reveals hidden star formation nests. The southern part of it is a particularly intense merger-triggered starburst. Highly tangled magnetic fields reach there strengths of 30microG, even larger than in both individual galaxies, possibly due to compression of the original fields pulled out from the parent disks. In the northeastern ridge, away from star-forming regions, the magnetic field is highly coherent with a strong regular component of 10microG tracing gas shearing motions along the tidal tail. Modelling Faraday rotation data show that we deal with a three-dimensionally curved structure of magnetic fields, becoming almost parallel to the sky plane in the southeastern part of the ridge.

Accepted for publication in AA, 16 pages including 16 figures, high-res version at http://www.oa.uj.edu.pl/~chris/publ/4038.ps.gz

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• Chandra Observations of "The Antennae" Galaxies (NGC 4038/39)
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