Astrophysical magnetic fields articles from across Nature Portfolio

Gamma-ray observations indicate that cosmic voids may host magnetic fields. Here, the authors show that relics of fields from the early Universe could be consistent with these observations if their decay is mediated by magnetic reconnection and conserves the mean square fluctuation level of magnetic helicity.

Two instances of approximately 5-Hz transient periodic oscillation features from the source detected in the 1.05- to 1.45-GHz radio band that occurred in January 2021 and June 2022 are reported.

The discovery of a long-period radio transient, GPM J1839–10, prompted a search of radio archives, thereby finding that this source has been repeating since at least 1988.

The application of physics-informed neural networks enables an estimation of the solar coronal magnetic field in quasi real time. A comparison with extreme-ultraviolet observations reveals that the model provides a realistic approximation and the modelled coronal field has a clear relationship with flaring activity.

J191213.72-441045.1, the second white dwarf pulsar system found, is a binary that comprises a white dwarf in a 4.03 h orbit with an M dwarf. The system exhibits pulsed emission with a period of 5.30 min and was detected at wavelengths from radio to X-rays.

Measurements of fast solar wind streams from the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft provide strong evidence for the interchange reconnection mechanism being responsible for accelerating the fast solar wind.

Recent detection of polarized thermal emission from dust grains in a high-redshift, rapidly star-forming galaxy can give us an insight into the formation and evolution of magnetic fields in large-scale structures of the early Universe.

The different roles of outflows in the removal of angular momentum from young stellar systems are becoming clearer with high-angular-resolution spectral-line studies.

The mechanisms that generate magnetic fields in stars are complex, but computational models of dynamo action show how magnetic fields can be generated by extremely turbulent flows.

The first maps of the magnetic field in the nebula surrounding the Crab pulsar have been drawn using X-ray polarimetry. They provide insight into the flow of relativistic particles through the nebula and the generation of turbulence.