Wisconsin Discovery Portal

Researcher's Profile

Last Name

Zweibel 

First Name

Ellen 

Middle Initial

Areas of Research Expertise

* Theoretical astrophysics, especially plasma astrophysics
* Origin and evolution of astrophysical magnetic fields in stars, galaxies, and the intergalactic medium
* How magnetic fields affect their environments

Web site

Ellen Zweibel's University Web Page 

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

 

Current/Active Funding

 

Issued Patent(s)

 

USPTO Published Applications

Recent Publication(s)

  • "A survey of extragalactic faraday rotation at high galactic latitude: the vertical magnetic field of the Milky Way toward the galactic poles"

Mao SA, Gaensler BM, Haverkorn M, et al., Astrophysical Journal 714 (2): 1170-1186 May 2010.  The observed standard deviation in RM of similar to 9 rad m(-2) then implies an upper limit of similar to 1 mu G on the strength of the random magnetic field in the warm ionized medium at high Galactic latitudes.

  • "Violation of Richardson's criterion via introduction of a magnetic field"

Lecoanet D, Zweibel EG, Townsend RHD, et al., Astrophysical Journal 712 (2): 1116-1128 Apr 2010. We investigate the effect of stable stratification on the magnetic field and velocity profiles unstable to magneto-shear instabilities, i.e., instabilities which require the presence of both magnetic field and shear flow.

  • "The role of the magnetic field in the interstellar medium of the post-starburst dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1569"

Kepley AA, Muhle S, Everett J, et al., Astrophysical Journal 712 (1): 536-557 Mar 2010. NGC 1569 is a nearby dwarf irregular galaxy which underwent an intense burst of star formation 10-40 Myr ago. We present observations that reach surface brightnesses 2-80 times fainter than previous radio continuum observations and the first radio continuum polarization observations of this galaxy at 20 cm, 13 cm, 6 cm, and 3 cm.

  • "Synchrotron constraints on a hybrid cosmic-ray thermally driven galactic wind"

Everett JE, Schiller QS, Aweibel EG, Astrophysical Journal 711 91): 13-24 Mar 2010. . In this paper, we calculate the synchrotron emission from our original wind model and compare it to observations; the synchrotron data show that earlier assumptions about the launching conditions of the wind must be changed: we are required to improve that earlier model by restricting the launching region to the domain of the inner "Molecular Ring," and by decreasing the magnetic field strength from the previously assumed maximum strength.

Recent Artistic Works

 

Collaboration

 

Research Tools

 

Research Facilities

 

E-mail Address

zweibel@astro.wisc.edu 

Phone Number

(608) 262-7921 

Current University

UW- Madison 

Department

Astronomy / Physics 

Title

Professor 

Other Appointments

 

Address Line 1

6281 Chamberlin Hall 

Address Line 2

1150 University Avenue 

City

Madison 

State

WI 

Zip Code

53706 

Bachelor's Degree

AB, University of Chicago, Mathematics, 1973

Master's Degree

 

PhD

PhD, Princeton University, Astrophysical Sciences, 1977

Other Degrees

 

Technologies Available for Licensing

Attachments
Created at 6/12/2007 2:07 PM  by Mindy Dawson 
Last modified at 5/13/2010 2:24 PM  by EXTWEB\jkolberg