Magnetism

The Cosmic Magnetism Science Working Group is focused on defining the role of magnetic fields in the physical processes that determine the structure and evolution of the Universe. The SKA’s Rotation Measure Grid survey will establish the origin and evolution of magnetic fields throughout the cosmos.

Magnetic fields are a major agent of energetic processes in various cosmic objects, from star forming regions and stellar remnants, through galaxies, including our own Milky Way, to the large-scale structure of the Universe. Magnetism has long been recognized as a crucial element in these problems, but new technology is required to make the observational progress needed for a full understanding of how these processes unfold in practice.

Radio astronomy provides the most effective probes of cosmic magnetism. The SKA’s revolutionary capability promises to take our study of magnetic fields to a new level of precision, and expand our horizon to distant objects that are inaccessible in sufficient detail today. Specifically, its unrivalled sensitivity and resolving power, combined with wide frequency coverage, makes the SKA ideal for probing magnetism across the Universe through the study of polarized synchrotron emission and its Faraday rotation, and Zeeman splitting.