Work

Studying the Intermittency of the Magnetized Interstellar Medium by Synchrotron Polarization Intensity and Its Gradient

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Based on synthetic polarization observations, we qualitatively investigate the intermittency of the magnetized interstellar medium (ISM) through synchrotron polarization intensity (SPI) and synchrotron polarization gradient (SPG). Three principal findings emerge from our analysis: (1) The intermittency of the magnetized ISM is strongly modulated by magnetization and compressibility, with pronounced modulation effects predominantly observed in regimes characterized by strong magnetization and high compressibility. (2) The characterized intermittency of the magnetized ISM demonstrates a dependence on the electron spectral index under conditions where the random magnetic field dominates. (3) SPG enables the identification of finer three-dimensional fractal structures in the case of strong Faraday depolarization. The synergistic application of SPI and SPG substantially enhances the reliability of probing magnetized ISM intermittency from real observations.

Source: The Astrophysical Journal

DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aea406

Authors: Ru-Yue Wang, Jian-Fu Zhang

Institutions: Guangxi Minzu University, Xiangtan University

Language: English

Topic: Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,499

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Province