Magnetic fields in damped Ly-alpha systems

Abstract

The probability of Faraday rotation in various types of metal-line absorbers is computed by combining the incidence of Faraday rotation in a sample of radio-selected QSOs with the incidence of foreground metal-line absorption. The sample is divided into subsets with and without damped Ly-alpha absorption. The probability of Faraday rotation is significantly higher in the damped subset. The probability is higher in the damped subset than in nondamped subsets selected on the basis of Mg II or C IV absorption. From evidence linking damped systems to the progenitors of galactic disks and the Mg II systems to the progenitors of galactic halos, it is concluded that magnetic fields were significantly higher in protogalactic disks than in protogalactic halos. It is estimated that the B fields in two damped Ly-alpha systems with z of about 2 are a few micro-Gauss.