Velocity Fluctuations Driven by the Damped, Aperiodic Mode in the Intergalactic Medium
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Lehrstuhl IV: Weltraum- and Astrophysik, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum (Germany)
On account of its finite temperature, the unmagnetized intergalactic medium (IGM) is subject to thermal fluctuations. Due to the fundamental coupling between particles and fields in a plasma, the field fluctuations generate current densities by means of the Lorentz force and thereby affect both the density and the velocity fluctuations of the particles. Recently, a new damped, aperiodic mode was discovered that dominates field fluctuations in the IGM. Apart from its impact on the transport properties of the IGM that determine the propagation of cosmic rays, previous research has shown that this mode provides turbulent magnetic seed fields of 6×10{sup −18} G that are an essential ingredient in the generation of cosmic magnetic fields. The current investigation addresses the influence of the mode on the particle motion. In order to describe the corresponding state of the turbulence, both the spectrum and the integrated total value of the mode-driven proton velocity fluctuations are computed. It is found that the latter amounts to 1.16×10{sup 8} T{sub 4}{sup 7/2}n{sub −7}{sup −1/2} cm s{sup −1} assuming a temperature of T{sub e}=T{sub p}=10{sup 4}T{sub 4} K and a density of n{sub e}=n{sub p}=10{sup −7}n{sub −7} cm{sup −3}. This value is two orders of magnitude larger than the thermal velocity. If the IGM neutrals adopt the same velocities as the protons by mutual charge exchange and elastic collisions (ambipolar diffusion), atomic lines propagating through the IGM are expected to display spectral broadening, enhanced by a factor of 90 beyond the thermal level in the case of hydrogen. This opens the window to a first direct observation of the damped aperiodic mode. Other observational techniques such as dispersion measure, rotation measure, and scintillation data are not applicable in this case because the mode is a transverse one, and, as such, it does not induce the required density fluctuations, as is shown here.
- OSTI ID:
- 22875969
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 844, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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