Astrophysical electromagnetic fields

Electric and magnetic fields in astronomical environments, generated by matter and currents in stars, planets, plasmas, and compact objects. They shape particle motion, energy transport, and the behavior of cosmic plasmas.

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Magnetohydrodynamics: The theory of electrically conducting fluids that couples fluid motion to electromagnetic fields. It describes how cosmic plasma flows carry, amplify, and reshape magnetic fields.
Plasma: A state of matter containing mobile charged particles whose collective behavior is governed by electromagnetic forces. Most visible cosmic matter is ionized, so field dynamics usually involve plasma.
Solar magnetic field: The magnetic field generated within the Sun and extending through the heliosphere. Its changing structure drives sunspots, flares, and much of solar-wind behavior.
Electrostatic field: An electric field that is time-independent and derives from a scalar potential. Astrophysical fields often vary rapidly or couple to magnetic fields, unlike this limiting case.
Magnetic field amplification: The growth of magnetic-field strength through fluid motion, instabilities, or other energy-transfer processes. Its efficiency and saturation remain central questions in galaxies and early cosmic structure.
Dynamo theory: A mechanism that generates magnetic fields when electrically conducting fluid motion sustains electric currents. It explains the persistent fields of planets and many stars.
Lorentz force: The force exerted on an electric charge by electric and magnetic fields. It governs how charged cosmic particles move through electromagnetic fields.
Earth's magnetic field: The magnetic field surrounding Earth, generated mainly by motion in its liquid outer core. It deflects much of the solar wind and shapes the magnetosphere.
Magnetostatic field: A time-independent magnetic field produced by steady currents or permanent magnetization. This idealization omits the changing currents and evolving plasma common in space.
Galactic dynamo: A proposed process by which rotating, turbulent galactic gas sustains large-scale magnetic fields. It addresses how weak seed fields become coherent fields across galaxies.