Magnetic Fields In Astrophysical Objects

Silvers, L. J. (2008). Magnetic Fields In Astrophysical Objects. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 366(1884), pp. 4453-4464. doi: 10.1098/rsta.2008.0173

Abstract

Magnetic fields are known to reside in many astrophysical objects and are now believed to be crucially important for the creation of phenomena on a wide variety of scales. However, the role of the magnetic field in the bodies that we observe has not always been clear. In certain situations, the importance of a magnetic field has been over looked on the grounds that the large-scale magnetic field was believed to be too weak to play and important role in the dynamics. In this article I discuss some of the recent developments concerning magnetic fields in stars, planets and accretion discs. I choose to emphasise some of the situations where it has been suggested that weak magnetic fields may play a more significant role than previously thought. At the end of the article I list some of the questions to be answered in the future.

Publication Type:	Article
Publisher Keywords:	magnetic fields, magnetohydrodynamics, accretion discs, stellar and planetary dynamos, planetary magnetic fields
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Departments:	School of Science & Technology > Mathematics