A Cautionary Note on Cosmological Magnetic Fields
arXiv:astro-ph/0702729 · doi:10.1111/j.1745-3933.2007.00406.x
Abstract
This note is concerned with potentially misleading concepts in the treatment of cosmological magnetic fields by magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) modelling. It is not a criticism of MHD itself but rather a cautionary comment on the validity of its use in cosmology. Now that cosmological data are greatly improved compared with a few decades ago, and even better data are imminent, it makes sense to revisit original modelling assumptions and examine critically their shortcomings in respect of modern science. Specifically this article argues that ideal MHD is a poor approximation around recombination, since it inherently restricts evolutionary timescales, and is often misapplied in the existing literature.
5 pages
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Cited by in corpus (4)
- Cosmic Electromagnetic Fields due to Perturbations in the Gravitational Field
- Unplugging the Universe: the neglected electromagnetic consequence of decoupling
- Primordial magnetogenesis before recombination
- Critical evaluation of the neoclassical model for the equilibrium electrostatic field in a tokamak