CHANG-ES Make It So ft. Judith Irwin

Introduction:

• Prof. Judith Irwin is a professor at Queen's University
• Judith Irwin is the Principle Investigator (leader) of the CHANG-ES collaboration
• Her team studies edge on spiral galaxies and their magnetic fields
• The magnetic fields can be seen in the halo of these galaxies. CHANG-ES has created award winning photos of these magnetic fields
• To detect magnetic fields there must also be cosmic rays

The CHANG-ES Collaboration:

• CHANG-ES stands for: Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies - an EVLA Survey
• Observing many galaxies they can combine the data to see the very faint average galaxy halo
• They have found a consistent X-shaped magnetic field coming out of edge on spiral galaxies
• Theoretically this can be explained with a galaxy scale magnetic dynamo (which is the same theory for Earth's magnetic field)
• The dynamo model of galaxy magnetic fields is also consistent with an exciting new observation of alternating field directions 

Looking to the Future:

• The CHANG-ES collaboration plans plans to seek even fainter magnetic fields using new powerful telescopes such as the MeerKAT and in the future the SKA
• Observing these magnetic fields in other galaxies (like Elliptical galaxies) is challenging unless they have a good source of cosmic rays
• Adding more galaxies to the CHANG-ES collection of observations will help for detecting faint signals

Links to Science Outreach Material:

• Canada France Hawaii Telescope
• McDonald Institute
• Royal Astronomical Society
• Astronomy on Tap

Special thanks to Colin Vendromin for the music, also thanks to Zac Kenny for the logo!