1,332 research outputs found
Poynting Flux Dominated Jets in Decreasing Density Atmospheres. I. The Non-relativistic Current-driven Kink Instability and the Formation of "Wiggled" Structures
Non-relativistic three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations of
Poynting flux dominated (PFD) jets are presented. Our study focuses on the
propagation of strongly magnetized hypersonic, but sub-Alfv\'enic () flow and on the subsequent development
of a current-driven (CD) kink instability. This instability may be responsible
for the ``wiggled'' structures seen in sub-parsec scale (VLBI) jets. In the
present paper, we investigate the nonlinear behavior of PFD jets in a variety
of external ambient magnetized gas distributions, including those with density,
pressure, and temperature gradients. Our numerical results show that the jets
can develop CD distortions in the trans-Alfv\'enic flow case, even when the
flow itself is still strongly magnetically dominated. An internal
non-axisymmetric body mode grows on time scales of order of the Alfv\'en
crossing time and distorts the structure and magnetic configuration of the jet.
The kink () mode of the CD instability, driven by the radial component of
the Lorentz force, grows faster than other higher order modes (). In the
jet frame the mode grows locally and expands radially at each axial position
where the jet is unstable: the instability, therefore, does not propagate as a
wave along the jet length. A naturally-occurring, external helically magnetized
wind, which is (quasi-) axially current-free, surrounds the well-collimated
current-carrying jet and reduces velocity shear between the jet and external
medium. This stabilizes the growth of MHD Kelvin-Helmholtz surface modes in the
inner jet flow.Comment: 70 pages, 23 figures, 3 tables, Appendix, submitted to Ap
3-D Simulations of MHD Jets - The Stability Problem
Non-relativistic three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of
Poynting-flux-dominated (PFD) jets are presented. Our study focuses on the
propagation of strongly magnetized hypersonic but sub-Alfv\'enic flow () and the development of a current-driven
(CD) kink instability. This instability may be responsible for the "wiggled"
structures seen in VLBI-scale AGN jets. In the present paper we investigate the
nonlinear behavior of PFD jets in a variety of external ambient magnetized gas
distributions, including those with density, pressure, and temperature
gradients. Our numerical results show that PFD jets can develop kink
distortions in the trans-Alfv\'enic flow case, even when the flow itself is
still strongly magnetically dominated. In the nonlinear development of the
instability, a non-axisymmetric mode grows on time scales of order the Alfv\'en
crossing time (in the jet frame) and proceeds to disrupt the kinematic and
magnetic structure of the jet. Because of a large scale poloidal magnetic field
in the ambient medium, the growth of surface modes ({\it i.e.}, MHD
Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities) is suppressed. The CD kink mode () grows
faster than the other higher order modes (), driven in large part by the
radial component of the Lorentz force.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures; to appear in Plasmas in the Laboratory and in the
Universe, Como, Italy, 16-19 Sep, 200
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