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Radio continuum emission of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2017
Abstract
The radio continuum emission of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies can be decomposed into a central region, a clumpy “thin disk”, concentrated in the spiral arms, and a smooth “thick disk” (or flattened “halo”). The emissivity ratio of the two disks seems to be related to the magnetic field properties: Galaxies with strong radio spiral arms reveal a highly ordered field following the arm direction, while galaxies with diffuse disks contain a less ordered, smoothly distributed field. The degree of uniformity of the field seems to correlate with the total optical luminosity. The average magnetic field in the Milky Way is weak and turbulent compared to most of the nearby galaxies observed so far.
- Type
- PART II: COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE AND KINEMATICS
- Information
- Symposium - International Astronomical Union , Volume 106: The Milky Way Galaxy , 1985 , pp. 239 - 244
- Copyright
- Copyright © Reidel 1985
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