Magnetohydrodynamic Treatment Research Articles

Relativistic Magnetized Astrophysical Plasma Outflows in Black-Hole Microquasars

In this work, we deal with collimated outflows of magnetized astrophysical plasma known as astrophysical jets, which have been observed to emerge from a wide variety of astrophysical compact objects. The latter systems can be considered as either hydrodynamic (HD) or magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) in nature, which means that they are governed by non-linear partial differential equations. In some of these systems, the velocity of the jet is very high and they require relativistic MHD (RMHD) treatment. We mainly focus on the appropriate numerical solutions of the MHD (and/or RMHD) equations as well as the transfer equation inside the jet and simulate multi-messenger emissions from specific astrophysical compact objects. We use a steady state axisymmetric model assuming relativistic magnetohydrodynamic descriptions for the jets (astrophysical plasma outflows) and perform numerical simulations for neutrino, gamma-ray and secondary particle emissions. By adopting the existence of such jets in black hole microquasars (and also in AGNs), the spherical symmetry of emissions is no longer valid, i.e., it is broken, and the system needs to be studied accordingly. One of the main goals is to estimate particle collision rates and particle energy distributions inside the jet, from black-hole microquasars. As concrete examples, we choose the Galactic Cygnus X-1 and the extragalactic LMC X-1 systems.

Neutrino absorption and other physics dependencies in neutrino-cooled black hole accretion discs

ABSTRACT Black hole (BH) accretion discs formed in compact-object mergers or collapsars may be major sites of the rapid-neutron-capture (r-)process, but the conditions determining the electron fraction (Ye) remain uncertain given the complexity of neutrino transfer and angular-momentum transport. After discussing relevant weak-interaction regimes, we study the role of neutrino absorption for shaping Ye using an extensive set of simulations performed with two-moment neutrino transport and again without neutrino absorption. We vary the torus mass, BH mass and spin, and examine the impact of rest-mass and weak-magnetism corrections in the neutrino rates. We also test the dependence on the angular-momentum transport treatment by comparing axisymmetric models using the standard α-viscosity with viscous models assuming constant viscous length-scales (lt) and 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. Finally, we discuss the nucleosynthesis yields and basic kilonova properties. We find that absorption pushes Ye towards ∼0.5 outside the torus, while inside increasing the equilibrium value $Y_\mathrm{ e}^{\mathrm{eq}}$ by ∼0.05–0.2. Correspondingly, a substantial ejecta fraction is pushed above Ye = 0.25, leading to a reduced lanthanide fraction and a brighter, earlier, and bluer kilonova than without absorption. More compact tori with higher neutrino optical depth, τ, tend to have lower $Y_\mathrm{ e}^{\mathrm{eq}}$ up to τ ∼ 1–10, above which absorption becomes strong enough to reverse this trend. Disc ejecta are less (more) neutron rich when employing an lt = const. viscosity (MHD treatment). The solar-like abundance pattern found for our MHD model marginally supports collapsar discs as major r-process sites, although a strong r-process may be limited to phases of high mass-infall rates, $\dot{M}\, \, \raise0.14em\rm{\gt }\lower0.28em\rm{\sim }\, \, 2\times 10^{-2}$ M⊙ s−1.

Cosmic rays and non-thermal emission in simulated galaxies − I. Electron and proton spectra compared to Voyager-1 data

ABSTRACT Current-day cosmic ray (CR) propagation studies use static Milky Way models and fit parametrized source distributions to data. Instead, we use three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of isolated galaxies with the moving-mesh code arepo that self-consistently accounts for hydrodynamic effects of CR protons. In post-processing, we calculate their steady-state spectra, taking into account all relevant loss processes. We show that this steady-state assumption is well justified in the disc and generally for regions that emit non-thermal radio and gamma rays. Additionally, we model the spectra of primary electrons, accelerated by supernova remnants, and secondary electrons and positrons produced in hadronic CR proton interactions with the gas. We find that proton spectra above 10 GeV only weakly depend on galactic radius, while they acquire a radial dependence at lower energies due to Coulomb interactions. Radiative losses steepen the spectra of primary CR electrons in the central galactic regions, while diffusive losses dominate in the outskirts. Secondary electrons exhibit a steeper spectrum than primaries because they originate from the transported steeper CR proton spectra. Consistent with Voyager-1 and AMS-02 data, our models (i) show a turnover of proton spectra below GeV energies due to Coulomb interactions so that electrons start to dominate the total particle spectra and (ii) match the shape of the positron fraction up to 10 GeV. We conclude that our steady-state CR modelling in MHD CR galaxy simulations is sufficiently realistic to capture the dominant transport effects shaping their spectra, arguing for a full MHD treatment to accurately model CR transport in the future.

The inadequacy of a magnetohydrodynamic approach to the Biermann battery.

Magnetic fields can be generated in plasmas by the Biermann battery when the electric field produced by the electron pressure gradient has a curl. The commonly employed magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model of the Biermann battery breaks down when the electron distribution function is distorted away from Maxwellian. Using both MHD and kinetic simulations of a laser-plasma interaction relevant to inertial confinement fusion we have shown that this distortion can reduce the Biermann-producing electric field by around 50%. More importantly, the use of a flux limiter in an MHD treatment to deal with the effect of the non-Maxwellian electron distribution on electron thermal transport leads to a completely unphysical prediction of the Biermann-producing electric field and so results in erroneous predictions for the generated magnetic field.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)’.

Effect of microalloying with transition and post-transition metals on the aging of precipitation-hardened Al–Cu alloys

An effective alloying system for providing improved mechanical and technological properties of model cast Al–Cu alloys (Al-4.6%Cu-0.4%Mn-0.2%Ti), using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) melt mixing, has been chosen in this research. It was shown that MHD treatment provides a non-dendritic (globular) ingot structure and can be applied to ensure thixotropy in the mass production of high-precision cast parts. Small additives of alloying elements that modify both grain structure (Mn, Zr) and reinforcing phases (Sn, In, Sc) were used. It is shown that the most effective alloying elements which improved the strength characteristics of the alloy are Sn and In. The introduction of 0.1–0.2% Sn or In followed by heat treatment led to a 50% increase in its yield strength, a 15% increase in the tensile strength. Sn and In modified the decomposition kinetics, providing a high density of precipitate and slow coalescence of nano-sized particles of the strengthening θ′-phase, which resulted in higher strength characteristics of the alloy.

Effect of Electric Fields on the Structure of an Aluminum Alloy during Magnetohydrodynamic Treatment

The microstructure of a 1417M alloy after magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) treatment has been studied. An electric field induced in the aluminum alloy melt is shown to cause electric transfer and to homogenize its structure. During the formation of an ingot upon MHD treatment, intermetallic phase dendrites are preferably oriented along the lines of the induced electric field.

REVISITING A CLASSIC: THE PARKER–MOFFATT PROBLEM

ABSTRACT The interaction of two colliding Alfvén wave packets is described here by means of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and hybrid kinetic numerical simulations. The MHD evolution revisits the theoretical insights described by Moffatt, Parker, Kraichnan, Chandrasekhar, and Elsässer in which the oppositely propagating large-amplitude wave packets interact for a finite time, initiating turbulence. However, the extension to include compressive and kinetic effects, while maintaining the gross characteristics of the simpler classic formulation, also reveals intriguing features that go beyond the pure MHD treatment.

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATIONS OF THE ATMOSPHERE OF HD 209458b

We present the first three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the atmosphere of HD 209458b which self-consistently include reduction of winds due to the Lorentz force and Ohmic heating. We find overall wind structures similar to that seen in previous models of hot Jupiter atmospheres, with strong equatorial jets and meridional flows poleward near the day side and equatorward near the night side. Inclusion of magnetic fields slows those winds and leads to Ohmic dissipation. We find wind slowing ranging from 10%-40% for reasonable field strengths. We find Ohmic dissipation rates ~10^17 W at 100 bar, orders of magnitude too small to explain the inflated radius of this planet. Faster wind speeds, not achievable in these anelastic calculations, may be able to increase this value somewhat, but likely will not be able to close the gap necessary to explain the inflated radius. We demonstrate that the discrepancy between the simulations presented here and previous models is due to inadequate treatment of magnetic field geometry and evolution. Induced poloidal fields become much larger than those imposed, highlighting the need for a self-consistent MHD treatment of these hot atmospheres.

ЛАБОРАТОРНЫЙ СТЕНД ДЛЯ ИЗУЧЕНИЯ ВЛИЯНИЯ МАГНИТОГИДРОДИНАМИЧЕСКОЙ ОБРАБОТКИ НА МИКРОБИОЛОГИЧЕСКУЮ КОРРОЗИЮ СТАЛИ

The article is devoted to sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) suppression in formation water by magnetohydrodynamic treatment (MHDT). Estimation of MHDT effectiveness is somewhat difficult since the number of alive bacteria is determined by intensity of their growth in special nutrient media which contain sulfate-ions, necessary for growth. Procedure of indirect SRB count is developed when the samples stayed in the untreated medium are visually compared with the samples kept in the medium exposed to MHDT. It is demonstrated that this method allows to estimate rather precisely the level of SRB suppression by MHDT.