Origin of cosmic magnetic fields

The first significant cosmic fields, and the seed field for galactic dynamos probably developed after the formation of the first non-linear structures. The history of star formation and the intergalactic medium is controlled, at least in part, by how and when galaxies and their precursors acquired their fields. The amplification of fields behind shocks, and the diffusivity of the magnetic flux, are crucial to the interpretation of radio sources, gamma ray burst afterglows, and other energetic cosmic phenomena. The build-up of magnetic fields is an important aspect of the overall cosmogonic process. (c) 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.