Upper Limits To Magnetic Fields In The Outskirts Of Galaxies

Based on CO(2-1) public data, we study the monoxide oxygen gas excitation conditions and the magnetic field strength of four spiral galaxies. For the galaxy outskirts, we found kinetic temperatures in the range of less than or similar to 35-38 K, CO column densities less than or similar to 10(15)-10(16) cm(-2), and H2 masses less than or similar to 4 x 10(6)-6 x 10(8) M-circle dot. An H-2 density less than or similar to 10(3) cm(-3) is suitable to explain the 2 sigma upper limits of the CO(2-1) line intensity. We constrain the magnetic field strength for our sample of spiral galaxies and their outskirts by using their masses and H2 densities to evaluate a simplified magneto-hydrodynamic equation. Our estimations provide values for the magnetic field strength on the order of less than or similar to 6-31 mu G.