Magnetic field in the El Gordo cluster (Hu et al. 2024)
Magnetic fields embedded within the intracluster medium (ICM) play a crucial role in shaping the evolution of galaxy clusters. Despite their significance, the properties of these fields remain poorly understood, primarily due to the challenges involved in their measurement. This project investigates the magnetic fields in the ICM by exploring their connection to both thermal X-ray emission and non-thermal radio emission. Through the application of advanced observational techniques, we present the first-ever measurement of the magnetic field topology within radio halos.
Magnetic fields in the galaxy clusters:
Probing the magnetic field in galaxy clusters with the gradient technique. arXiv:2007.06219.
Synchrotron intensity gradient revealing magnetic fields in galaxy clusters, Nature Communications.
Tracing magnetic fields with the GT: spatial filtering and use of interferometers. arXiv:2208.06074.
The statistics of gas density, velocity, and magnetic fields in cool-core galaxy clusters. arXiv:2505.08275
We employ artificial intelligence (AI) tools to trace three-dimensional interstellar magnetic fields and investigate turbulence in both the interstellar medium (ISM) and the intracluster medium (ICM). Crucially, our approach goes beyond the straightforward application of algorithms—we seek to uncover the underlying physical principles governing these systems. Compared to traditional techniques, AI offers several key advantages: it enables efficient processing of large datasets, enhances the identification of complex patterns, and delivers a more comprehensive and accurate characterization of magnetic field structures.
Tracing 3D magnetic fields with AI:
Probing three-dimensional magnetic fields: II -- interpretable convolutional neural network. arXiv:2310.12555.
Probing three-dimensional magnetic fields: III -- synchrotron emission and machine learning. arXiv:2404.07806.
Probing three-dimensional magnetic fields: IV -- synchrotron polarization and vision transformer. arXiv:2410.09294.
Machine learning approach for estimating magnetic field strength in galaxy clusters from synchrotron emission. arXiv:2411.07080.
Estimate sonic Mach number in the interstellar medium with the convolutional neural network. arXiv:2411.11157.
3D Galactic magnetic field distribution (Hu & Lazarian 2023)
3D magnetic field traced by young stellar objects (Hu et al. 2021)
The intricate web of magnetic fields threading the Galaxy plays a fundamental role in a plethora of astrophysical phenomena, from the enigmatic origins of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays to the process of star formation. Despite their significance, directly measuring the three-dimensional (3D) magnetic fields within the interstellar medium (ISM) remains a formidable challenge. Driven by an enriched comprehension of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, this research proposes innovative methodologies to trace and characterize the orientation and strength of 3D magnetic fields:
3D Galactic magnetic field:
Mapping the Galactic magnetic field orientation and strength in three dimensions. arXiv:2302.05047.
Anisotropic turbulence in PPV space: probing three-dimensional magnetic fields. arXiv:2104.02842.
Anisotropies in compressible MHD turbulence: probing magnetic fields. arXiv:2012.06039.
Characterizing 3D magnetic fields and turbulence in H I clouds. arXiv:2505.07422
3D magnetic fields in star-forming regions:
Probing three-dimensional magnetic fields: I -- polarized dust emission. arXiv:2203.09745.
Characterizing three-dimensional magnetic field, turbulence, and self-gravity in the star-forming region L1688. arXiv:2210.11023.
Velocity gradients: magnetic field tomography towards the supernova remnant W44. arXiv: 2109.13670.
Two-fluid Athena++ simulations of turbulence (Hu et al. 2023)
Cosmic rays and turbulence are fundamental processes shaping the partially ionized interstellar medium (ISM), with their effects spanning an extraordinary range of scales—from hundreds of parsecs to sub-astronomical units. This project undertakes a comprehensive investigation of cosmic ray transport, MHD turbulence, and their associated astrophysical phenomena, utilizing state-of-the-art numerical simulations to uncover the underlying dynamics and their broader implications.
Cosmic ray transport:
Superdiffusion of CRs in compressible magnetized turbulence. arxiv:2111.15066.
CR superdiffusion and mirror diffusion in a partially ionized and turbulent medium. arXiv:2505.07421
Turbulent dynamo:
Turbulent magnetic field amplification by the interaction of shock waves and inhomogeneous medium. arXiv:2207.06941.
Turbulence damping due to neutral-ion decoupling:
Damping of turbulence in a partially ionized medium. arXiv:2306.10005.
Magnetic field in the Smith HI cloud (Hu et al. 2019)
Polarization observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) provide critical insights into the primordial inhomogeneities of the universe. However, these signals are significantly contaminated by polarized emission from Galactic foregrounds. This research aims to model the Galactic foreground polarization using atomic neutral hydrogen (HI) data. By constructing accurate foreground models, we seek to enhance the separation of cosmological and Galactic components, thereby advancing efforts to detect the elusive B-mode polarization signal in the CMB.
Modeling of the Galactic foreground polarization:
Predictions of CMB foregrounds dust polarization using the velocity gradient. arXiv:1910.05637.
Modeling of galactic foreground polarization with velocity gradients. arXiv:2007.02184.
Nature of striation in 21 cm channel Maps: Velocity caustics. arXiv:2306.10005.
Origin of the multi-phase interstellar medium: the effects of turbulence and magnetic field. arXiv:2505.07423
Magnetic field around the Sgr A* (Hu et al. 2022)
Image credit: SOFIA
Magnetic fields are a fundamental yet elusive component of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) and galaxies more broadly. To unravel their complexities within the CMZ and nearby galaxies, this research adopts a multi-wavelength observational approach. We integrate spectroscopic observations of neutral and ionized gas, radio polarization data, and far-infrared polarization measurements. This comprehensive dataset enables the construction of high-resolution magnetic field maps, allowing for a detailed investigation of the role magnetic fields play in galactic nuclear dynamics and the regulation of interstellar processes.
Multi-scale and 3D magnetic fields in the Central Molecular Zone:
Multi-scale magnetic fields in the central molecular zone. arXiv:2105.03605.
Decomposing magnetic fields in three dimensions over the central molecular zone. arXiv:2201.07970.
Magnetic fields in nearby galaxies:
Role of magnetic fields in fueling Seyfert nuclei. arXiv:2206.05423.
Multiphase magnetic fields in the galaxy NGC 3627. arXiv:2208.06090.
Anisotropic velocity fluctuations in galaxy mergers: a probe of the magnetic field. arXiv:2410.08157.
Simulation of star formation with stellar feedback (Hu et al. 2022)
Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of star formation requires a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between turbulence, magnetic fields, stellar feedback, and gravity within molecular clouds. This research aims to unravel the nature of turbulence and magnetic field structures in star-forming regions. By combining state-of-the-art numerical simulations with high-resolution spectroscopic observations, we seek to shed light on the complex dynamics that govern these stellar nurseries.
Turbulence in star formation:
The velocity statistics of turbulent clouds in the presence of outflow feedback. arXiv:2203.01508.
Velocity gradient in the presence of self-gravity: identifying inflows. arXiv:2002.06754.
Magnetic fields in star formation:
Magnetic field morphology with velocity gradient technique in Interstellar Clouds. Nature Astronomy
Revealing gravitational collapse in the Serpens G3-G6 molecular cloud. arXiv:2102.06225.
Tracing multi-scale magnetic field structure in GMC. arXiv:1904.04391.