Fundamental

Fundamental questions about galactic magnetic fields

In spite of significant progress in radio studies of the Milky Way and other galaxies, some fundamental questions still remain unanswered:

When were the first magnetic fields generated: during the formation of proto-galaxies, in stars, or are they relics from the early Universe before the galaxies were formed?
How were magnetic fields amplified and ordered during the evolution of galaxies?
Do magnetic fields exist only in the star-forming regions of galaxies, or do they extend out to intergalactic space?
How important are magnetic fields for the physics of galaxies, like the efficiency to form stars from gas, the formation of spiral arms, or the generation of gas outflows (“galactic winds”)?

Answers to these questions can hardly be expected from present-day radio telescopes, but need much better sensitivity and angular resolution, and the opening of new frequency windows, especially at low frequencies.