The Ã(k) are chosen according to the prescription
P(A_i) = [1 / (2) (k)] exp[-A_i^2 / 2^2(k)], (9)
where A_i represents either the real or imaginary part of a component of Ã. It is convenient to change to polar coordinates and look at the amplitude and phase of A,
P(A,) dA d = [A / ^2(k)] exp[-A^2 / 2^2(k)] dA {d / 2}. (10)
Therefore is uniformly distributed between 0 and 2 and A is drawn from a Rayleigh distribution. A Gaussian power spectrum was used,
^2(k) = k^2 exp(-k^2/k_0^2). (11)
This is equivalent to a Gaussian longitudinal magnetic field autocorrelation function f = exp(-r^2/2r_0^2), which defines the field scale length r_0. With this definition the RM autocorrelation function varies as 1-r^2/r_0^2 near the origin. The scale k_0 is adjusted to vary the field correlation length relative to that of the grid. Because the grid is only of finite size only a small range of scale sizes can be investigated while keeping a reasonable number of grid points per cell and a reasonable number of cells in the box. The results were found to be similar for a range of power spectra, although none of the power spectra had power on a large range of scales.
I have smoothed the maps with a Gaussian observing beam of FWHM w. A simple analytic approximation to the reduction in contrast is
_S = _0/(1+w^2/r_0^2), (12)
where r_0 is the field scale length, _0 the map's intrinsic contrast and _S the observed contrast after smoothing. For the observations of Kim et al. (1990) analysed below, w = 1 arcmin 40 kpc.
\centerline{\hbox{\psfig{figure=/hemlock/tribble/papers/halo/fig1.ps}}}
Fig 1. A simulation of the Coma radio halo at 1 arcmin=40 kpc resolution, for a magnetic field scale length of 40 kpc. The scale is in arcmin, the solid contours are the higher values and the dashed contours the lower values.
I present models that have the same overall profile as the Coma radio halo, approximated as a circular Gaussian of FWHM 16 arcmin (Kim et al. 1990), and smoothed to 1 arcmin resolution, for a variety of field scale sizes. These models assume a spectral index n=1 which is a compromise between the slightly flatter spectral index of n0.7 at the centre of the halo and the value of n1.3 for the halo as a whole (Kim et al. 1987). This approximation isn't a serious concern as Section 2 shows that the variation of contrast with spectral index is reasonably small over the range of interest. Examples are shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. These maps are constructed by periodically extending a half size emission map, shaping to the desired profile and smoothing to 1 arcmin resolution. The emission contrast is then corrected from a rectangular to a Gaussian emission distribution along the line of sight.
\centerline{\hbox{\psfig{figure=/hemlock/tribble/papers/halo/fig2.ps}}}
Fig 2. A simulation of the Coma radio halo at 1 arcmin=40 kpc resolution, for a magnetic field scale length of 25 kpc.