Cross-Scale Coupling of Magnetic Fields in Nearby Galaxies

Ascertain whether magnetic fields in nearby galaxies maintain ordered structure continuously from spiral-arm scales down to molecular-cloud scales, or decouple at some intermediate scale, by measuring and comparing magnetic field morphology across spatial scales with submillimetre polarimetry and complementary data.

Background

Submillimetre polarimetry has begun to reveal magnetic field structure in galaxies on arm-scale and within molecular clouds, yet the cross-scale linkage remains unresolved. This linkage is central to understanding how magnetism influences star formation and ISM dynamics.

The authors explicitly state that it is unknown how magnetic fields across scales connect—whether coherence persists or decoupling occurs—motivating comprehensive, multi-scale mapping to test magnetic continuity across galactic environments.