Submillimetre observations of the two-component magnetic field in M82

Kate Pattle, Walter Gear, Matt Redman, Matthew W.L. Smith, Jane Greaves

Research output: Contribution to a Journal (Peer & Non Peer)Articlepeer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We observed the starburst galaxy M82 in 850 μm polarized light with the POL-2 polarimeter on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). We interpret our observed polarization geometry as tracing a two-component magnetic field: a poloidal component aligned with the galactic 'superwind', extending to a height ~350 pc above and below the central bar; and a spiral-arm-aligned, or possibly toroidal, component in the plane of the galaxy, which dominates the 850 μm polarized light distribution at galactocentric radii ≤2 kpc. Comparison of our results with recent High-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera Plus (HAWC+) measurements of the field in the dust entrained by the M82 superwind suggests that the superwind breaks out from the central starburst at ~350 pc above the plane of the galaxy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)684-688
Number of pages5
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume505
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2021

Keywords

  • Galaxies: individual: M82
  • Galaxies: magnetic fields
  • Submillimetre: galaxies

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