Hello dear friends! Today we are once again at the forefront of scientific research.
Get ready to be on the rocks! While studying the structure of the Milky Way's magnetic field, Chinese scientists discovered a surprisingly large magnetic ring. How big is this magnetic ring? From 6,000 light-years from the center of the galaxy to a staggering 50,000 light-years! What is the concept of a light year? We also heard the old saying, "A bundle of mustard will return thousands of miles". Such a vast distance is beyond the reach of even a fast horse or a rocket. And this magnetic ring lies there, like an infinite magnetic ring.
Dr. Xu Jun and researcher Han Jinlin of the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences were responsible for the discovery. They analyzed data on the Faraday rotation effect of numerous celestial bodies in and around the Milky Way galaxy to confirm the existence of this giant magnetic ring. The Faraday rotation effect refers to the phenomenon that the polarization surface rotates when electromagnetic waves propagate in a magnetic field, and the strength and direction of the magnetic field can be indirectly detected by measuring this rotation.
It can be said that this discovery can be called a milestone breakthrough in human understanding of the magnetic field structure of the Milky Way. Since researcher Han Jinlin discovered more than 20 years ago that the magnetic field in the Milky Way's disk is a spiral structure around the spiral arm, scientists have been trying to explore the distribution of the magnetic field in the Milky Way's halosphere. The research results of Xu Jun and Han Jinlin this time reveal to the world this hitherto unknown huge magnetic ring structure, which is undoubtedly a subversive discovery of the existing understanding.
Why is this discovery so important?
First of all, with the understanding of the large-scale magnetic field structure of the Milky Way, we can better understand the propagation process of cosmic ray particles in the Milky Way and solve the mystery of high-energy cosmic rays. Secondly, the magnetic field is closely related to the movement of galactic gases, and understanding the structure of the magnetic field is helpful to explore the dynamics of galaxy formation and evolution. In addition, the origin and evolution of the Milky Way's magnetic field is also the top priority of cosmic magnetic field research, and this major discovery provides us with valuable first-hand data and evidence.
In a paper published in the top international journal "Chinese Astrophysical Journal", the scientists elaborated on the process and significance of this discovery. In fact, as early as more than 20 years ago, researcher Han Jinlin proposed an innovative idea, that is, by deducting the influence of local areas near the sun, so as to reveal the overall magnetic field characteristics of the galactic halo region. In the long years since, they have been patiently accumulating relevant observational data, including data from many faint pulsars measured by the China Sky Eye FAST radio telescope. In the end, through Xu Jun's data collation and Han Jinlin's analysis ideas, this shocking discovery was finally made.
It is worth mentioning that China's investment and development in the field of astronomy in recent years is encouraging. FAST, currently the world's largest radio telescope, is providing astronomers with unprecedented detection capabilities. In the future, with the advancement of more large-scale telescope projects such as the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope (SKA), our understanding of the mysteries of the universe will surely be deepened.
This discovery not only enriches and improves the understanding of the magnetic field structure of the Milky Way, but also opens up a new perspective for astrophysicists to further explore the mysteries of the universe. We look forward to more and greater achievements by Chinese scientists in this field and write a new chapter in mankind's understanding of the universe.