QUO Fast Radio Bursts

CHANG-ES Make It So ft. Judith Irwin


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Introduction:

  • Prof. Judith Irwin is a professor at Queen's University
  • Judith Irwin is the Principle Investigator (leader) of the CHANG-ES collaboration
  • Her team studies edge on spiral galaxies and their magnetic fields
  • The magnetic fields can be seen in the halo of these galaxies. CHANG-ES has created award winning photos of these magnetic fields
  • To detect magnetic fields there must also be cosmic rays


The CHANG-ES Collaboration:

  • CHANG-ES stands for: Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies - an EVLA Survey
  • Observing many galaxies they can combine the data to see the very faint average galaxy halo
  • They have found a consistent X-shaped magnetic field coming out of edge on spiral galaxies
  • Theoretically this can be explained with a galaxy scale magnetic dynamo (which is the same theory for Earth's magnetic field)
  • The dynamo model of galaxy magnetic fields is also consistent with an exciting new observation of alternating field directions 


Looking to the Future:

  • The CHANG-ES collaboration plans plans to seek even fainter magnetic fields using new powerful telescopes such as the MeerKAT and in the future the SKA
  • Observing these magnetic fields in other galaxies (like Elliptical galaxies) is challenging unless they have a good source of cosmic rays
  • Adding more galaxies to the CHANG-ES collection of observations will help for detecting faint signals



Links to Science Outreach Material:

  • Canada France Hawaii Telescope
  • McDonald Institute
  • Royal Astronomical Society
  • Astronomy on Tap


Special thanks to Colin Vendromin for the music, also thanks to Zac Kenny for the logo!

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QUO Fast Radio BurstsBy Queen's Observatory