doi.org/10.1103/77rd-vkpz
Credibility: 989
#UniverseÂ
The Universe’s first magnetic fields, which emerged in its early moments, were extremely weak, billions of times weaker than a typical refrigerator magnet
Their strength was similar to the magnetism generated by neurons in the human brain.
Even though they were so subtle, these fields left traces that can still be detected in the cosmic web, a vast network of structures connecting galaxies throughout the Universe.
This discovery came from a study that used approximately 250,000 computer simulations by researchers from SISSA (International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy) and universities such as Hertfordshire, Cambridge, Nottingham, Stanford, and Potsdam.
The study, published in the journal *Physical Review Letters*, also relied on data from real observations and provided new information about the limits of the strength of these primordial magnetic fields, in addition to helping understand how the Universe began, including the formation of the first stars and galaxies.
The Magnetized Cosmic Web
The cosmic web is a filament-like structure that connects galaxies and permeates the Universe.
There is still much to discover about it, but one of its mysteries is why it is magnetized, not only near galaxies, where it would be expected, but also in distant, sparsely populated regions.
Explaining this is more complicated.
Mak Pavi?evi?, a doctoral student at SISSA and lead author of the study, along with his advisor Matteo Viel, explains: “Our idea was that this magnetism could be a remnant of events that happened in the early Universe.
We think the filaments of the cosmic web may have become magnetized during ‘inflation’-a period before the Big Bang-or at later times, called phase transitions.
Our study attempted to confirm this and measure the strength of these magnetic fields.”
A Quarter of a Million Simulations
An international team ran more than 250,000 computer simulations to study the cosmic web and the role of primordial magnetic fields in its formation.
According to Vid Ir?i? of the University of Hertfordshire and co-author of the study, “These are the most realistic and comprehensive simulations ever performed on the influence of primordial magnetic fields on the cosmic web.”
Pavi?evi? and Viel add: “By comparing the simulations with real data, we saw that our hypotheses were correct.
When we included primordial magnetic fields, the cosmic web looks more similar to what we observe.
We found that a model of the Universe with a very weak magnetic field, about 0.2 nanogauss, fits the experimental data much better.”
A New Limit for Primordial Magnetic Fields
Scientists calculated that primordial magnetic fields had an extremely low strength, establishing a new upper limit, several times lower than previous estimates.
Pavi?evi? and Viel explain: “Our study sets strict limits on the strength of magnetic fields formed in the earliest moments of the Universe.
This is in agreement with recent studies on the cosmic microwave background.”
They add: “These findings help us better understand the events of the early Universe.
Magnetic fields would have increased the density of the cosmic web, accelerating the formation of stars and galaxies.
Future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope could further confirm our results.”
Vid Ir?i? concludes: “These new limits not only help us understand the impact of primordial magnetic fields on the evolution of the Universe, but also have important implications for other theoretical models that explain the formation of cosmic structures.”
Published in 09/19/2025 18h02
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
Reference article:
Original study:
| Geoprocessing Drone Systems HPC |
| ERP and CRM Systems Mobile Systems AI |