Synchrotron emission in a random magnetic field: the effect of
spectral ageing on radio images
By P. C. Tribble
Abstract
Images of radio synchrotron emission from volumes containing a
random magnetic field have been constructed. The evolution of the
images as the emission ages depends on the relative importance of
synchrotron losses, inverse Compton losses, and diffusion of electrons
between regions of different field strength. The polarization from the
volume can vary substantially with frequency as the result of
differential ageing of polarized components, although this will not be
important for sheared field configurations. Synchrotron ageing
naturally increases the emission contrast at high frequencies, so that
instabilities need not be invoked to explain the brightness of
filamentary structures.
Key words: magnetic fields -- radio continuum: galaxies -- radiation
mechanisms: cyclotron and synchrotron
Contents:
- Introduction
- Model details
- Images
- Spectra
- Polarization
- Filamentary structures and instabilities
- Conclusions
- Acknowledgments
- References
Also some notes on presentation
This article appeared in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
Society, vol 269, pp. 110-120 (1994). Copyright Royal
Astronomical Society.
Peter Tribble, peter.tribble@gmail.com