Scientists have been able to study the weak magnetic fields of the Magellanic Bridge, which connects neighboring galaxies.
The Milky Way's small companions, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds galaxies, are connected by a long stream of neutral hydrogen. This Magellanic Bridge stretches for about 75 thousand years, even several stars were noticed in it, and recently Jane Kaczmarek and her colleagues from the University of Sydney discovered the magnetic fields associated with it for the first time. They report this in an article published by the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Until now, the existence of this magnetic field was known only from theory, and its origin is being explained by two competing hypotheses. According to one, this magnetic field was formed inside the hydrogen flow itself, according to the other, it first formed a bridge between galaxies, and only then a gas flow moved along it.
The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are located 160 and 200 thousand light years from us, and the magnetic field strength of the Magellanic Bridge is only a millionth of the Earth's magnetosphere - it is easy to understand how elaborate work was required from scientists. They analyzed observations in the radio range in order to trace the influence of this magnetic field on the polarization of photons from hundreds of more distant galaxies and in this way, "by circumstantial evidence", to restore its appearance.
The authors hope that this work will clarify the nature and origin of the Magellanic Bridge, as well as its role in the evolution of both galaxies. Such bridges are far from uncommon in tight clusters such as ours. Even the Milky Way connects to the Magellanic Clouds in a separate structure - the Magellanic Stream. It remains to be seen how it affects the Galaxy.
Sergey Vasiliev