54 research outputs found
Magnetic Effects Change Our View of the Heliosheath
There is currently a controversy as to whether Voyager 1 has already crossed
the Termination Shock, the first boundary of the Heliosphere. The region
between the Termination Shock and the Heliopause, the Helisheath, is one of the
most unknown regions theoretically. In the Heliosheath magnetic effects are
crucial, as the solar magnetic field is compressed at the Termination Shock by
the slowing flow. Recently, our simulations showed that the Heliosheath
presents remarkable dynamics, with turbulent flows and the presence of a jet
flow at the current sheet that is unstable due to magnetohydrodynamic
instabilities \cite{opher,opher1}. In this paper we review these recent
results, and present an additional simulation with constant neutral atom
background. In this case the jet is still present but with reduced intensity.
Further study, e.g., including neutrals and the tilt of the solar rotation from
the magnetic axis, is required before we can definitively address how the
Heliosheath behaves. Already we can say that this region presents remarkable
dynamics, with turbulent flows, indicating that the Heliosheath might be very
different from what we previously thought.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, to appear in IGPP 3rd Annual International
Astrophysics Conference, "PHYSICS OF THE OUTER HELIOSPHERE
Low frequency m=1 normal mode oscillations of a self-gravitating disc
A continuous system such as a galactic disc is shown to be well approximated
by an N-ring differentially rotating self-gravitating system. Lowest order
(m=1) non-axisymmetric features such as lopsidedness and warps are global in
nature and quite common in the discs of spiral galaxies. Apparently these two
features of the galactic discs have been treated like two completely disjoint
phenomena. The present analysis based on an eigenvalue approach brings out
clearly that these two features are fundamentally similar in nature and they
are shown to be very Low frequency Normal Mode (LNM) oscillations manifested in
different symmetry planes of the galactic disc. Our analysis also show that
these features are actually long-lived oscillating pattern of the N-ring
self-gravitating system.Comment: 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter
Magnetic field structure at the diamagnetic cavity boundary (Numerical simulations)
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95513/1/grl13492.pd
Correction to “Interchange instability in the inner magnetosphere associated with geosynchronous particle flux decreases”
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94678/1/grl17909.pd
Magnetic Effects at the Edge of the Solar System: MHD Instabilities, the de Laval nozzle Effect and an Extended Jet
To model the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar wind,
magnetic fields must be included. Recently Opher et al. 2003 found that, by
including the solar magnetic field in a 3D high resolution simulation using the
University of Michigan BATS-R-US code, a jet-sheet structure forms beyond the
solar wind Termination Shock. Here we present an even higher resolution
three-dimensional case where the jet extends for beyond the Termination
Shock. We discuss the formation of the jet due to a de Laval nozzle effect and
it's su bsequent large period oscillation due to magnetohydrodynamic
instabilities. To verify the source of the instability, we also perform a
simplified two dimensional-geometry magnetohydrodynamic calculation of a plane
fluid jet embedded in a neutral sheet with the profiles taken from our 3D
simulation. We find remarkable agreement with the full three-dimensional
evolution. We compare both simulations and the temporal evolution of the jet
showing that the sinuous mode is the dominant mode that develops into a
velocity-shear-instability with a growth rate of . As a result, the outer edge of the heliosphere
presents remarkable dynamics, such as turbulent flows caused by the motion of
the jet. Further study, e.g., including neutrals and the tilt of the solar
rotation from the magnetic axis, is required before we can definitively address
how this outer boundary behaves. Already, however, we can say that the magnetic
field effects are a major player in this region changing our previous notion of
how the solar system ends.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical
Journal (2004
3D multi‐fluid MHD studies of the solar wind interaction with Mars
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95115/1/grl13388.pd
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