Cosmic microwave background anisotropies in the presence of a weak magnetic field
Master Thesis
2003
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
One of the questions cosmology still has not satisfactorily resolved is the origin of magnetic fields in the universe. These have been observed at all scales where man has c:evised means to observe them, from stellar scales, to intergalactic and intercluster scales. Indeed, there is no reason to believe that they are not present, at some level, at even larger scales. However, a satisfactory explanation for their origin is yet to be found. The two most popular theories for the creation of these magnetic fields, namely the Galactic dynamo, and primordial field amplification, both rely on the presence of a seed field, which they then amplify. However, the galactic dynamo requires a far weaker seed field compared to primordial field amplification. It would thus be helpful, in trying to understand magnetogenesis, if one could discover some means to detect such a seed field. One way to do so would be to search for a signature that such a magnetic field might leave on the CMB, and then look for the presence of this signature in CMB observations. This is the principal aim of this thesis.
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Bibliography: leaves 87-90.
Reference:
Kahle, A. 2003. Cosmic microwave background anisotropies in the presence of a weak magnetic field. University of Cape Town.