Cosmic Magnetism Science with the SKA
Tessa Vernstrom, Jennifer L. West, Cathy Horellou
astro-ph.GA
Submitted: 2026-07-01
Comments: Published in Advancing Astrophysics with the SKA II (AASKAII), 2026 (arXiv:2606.20366). Report-no:AASKAII/Vernstrom01 . Advancing Astrophysics with the SKA II (AASKAII) outlines the transformative scientific advances that will be enabled by the SKA telescopes
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
The gist: Magnetic fields are a fundamental component of astrophysical systems, yet many key questions about their origin, amplification, and role in structure formation and evolution remain unresolved.
Terminology
Abstract
Magnetic fields are a fundamental component of astrophysical systems, yet many key questions about their origin, amplification, and role in structure formation and evolution remain unresolved. The SKA will mark a transformational step forward in addressing these questions, enabling studies of cosmic magnetism across a large range of spatial scales and environments. This overview summarizes the main science cases in the Cosmic Magnetism Science Working Group, which cover a huge breadth of scales from the smallest scales governing planet and star formation, all the way up to the large-scale structure of the Universe. The chapter summarizes the main observational techniques for studying magnetic fields, including direct polarization imaging, Faraday rotation, rotation-measure grids, and Zeeman splitting. We also address fundamental considerations of these studies including SKA-Low vs SKA-Mid and wide-area vs deep observing strategies.
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