Formation and Collimation of Relativistic MHD Jets — Simulations and Radio Maps

We present results of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of jet formation and propagation, discussing a variety of astrophysical setups. In the first approach we consider simulations of relativistic MHD jet formation, considering jets launched from the surface of a Keplerian disk, demonstrating numerically — for the first time — the self-collimating ability of relativistic MHD jets. We obtain Lorentz factors up to ≃ 10 while acquiring a high degree of collimation of about 1 degree. We then present synchrotron maps calculated from the intrinsic jet structure derived from the MHD jet formation simulation. We finally present (non-relativistic) MHD simulations of jet lauching, treating the transition between accretion and ejection. These setups include a physical magnetic diffusivity which is essential for loading the accretion material onto the outflow. We find relatively high mass fluxes in the outflow, of the order of 20-40% of the accretion rate.

[1]  C. Fendt,et al.  BIPOLAR JETS LAUNCHED FROM ACCRETION DISKS. II. THE FORMATION OF ASYMMETRIC JETS AND COUNTER JETS , 2013, 1305.1263.

[2]  N. Bucciantini,et al.  A fully covariant mean-field dynamo closure for numerical 3+1 resistive GRMHD , 2012, 1205.2951.

[3]  O. Porth,et al.  BIPOLAR JETS LAUNCHED FROM MAGNETICALLY DIFFUSIVE ACCRETION DISKS. I. EJECTION EFFICIENCY VERSUS FIELD STRENGTH AND DIFFUSIVITY , 2012, 1207.6086.

[4]  O. Porth,et al.  SYNCHROTRON RADIATION OF SELF-COLLIMATING RELATIVISTIC MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC JETS , 2011, 1105.4258.

[5]  O. Porth,et al.  ACCELERATION AND COLLIMATION OF RELATIVISTIC MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC DISK WINDS , 2009, 0911.3001.

[6]  Observational evidence for the link between the variable optical continuum and the subparsec-scale jet of the radio galaxy 3C 390.3 , 2009, 0909.2679.

[7]  Relativistic plasma as the dominant source of the optical continuum emission in the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 120 , 2009, 0910.1320.

[8]  C. Fendt.  FORMATION OF PROTOSTELLAR JETS AS TWO-COMPONENT OUTFLOWS FROM STAR–DISK MAGNETOSPHERES , 2008, 0810.4154.

[9]  R. Pudritz,et al.  Accretion-powered Stellar Winds. II. Numerical Solutions for Stellar Wind Torques , 2008, 0801.0436.

[10]  J. Mckinney,et al.  Total and Jet Blandford-Znajek Power in the Presence of an Accretion Disk , 2005, astro-ph/0506367.

[11]  N. Vlahakis,et al.  Magnetic Driving of Relativistic Outflows in Active Galactic Nuclei. I. Interpretation of Parsec-Scale Accelerations , 2003, astro-ph/0310747.

[12]  C. Fendt,et al.  Magnetically driven superluminal motion from rotating black holes Solution of the magnetic wind equation in Kerr metric , 2001, astro-ph/0101373.

[13]  General relativistic simulations of early jet formation in a rapidly rotating black hole magnetosphere , 1999, astro-ph/9907435.

[14]  Mitchell C. Begelman,et al.  Asymptotic structure of hydromagnetically driven relativistic winds , 1991 .

[15]  C. Norman,et al.  The collimation of magnetized winds , 1989 .

[16]  R. Blandford,et al.  Hydromagnetic flows from accretion discs and the production of radio jets , 1982 .

[17]  R. Blandford,et al.  Electromagnetic extraction of energy from Kerr black holes , 1977 .