view Abstract Citations (8) References (8) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Electrodynamic Formation of Astrophysical Jets: Simulations Gisler, Galen ; Lovelace, Richard V. E. ; Norman, Michael L. Abstract In electrodynamic models for astrophysical jets, the magnetized conducting accretion disk surrounding a black hole acts as a unipolar dynamo to produce oppositely propagating jets of electromagnetic energy and particles. Ambient plasma in the vicinity of the accretion disk acts as a grounded "anode" surface, while the disk itself acts as a cathode. The physical situation is analogous to that of magnetically insulated foilless diodes, which are laboratory devices for producing intense electron or ion beams. Electrons or ions (or positrons) at the disk surface are electrostatically accelerated away from the disk. The emission is space charge limited with the result that intense, relativistic, current-carrying beams of particles emerge from the disk surfaces. These particle beams are predicted to have an appreciable fraction of their energy flux carried by the electromagnetic fields, that is, by a Poynting flux. Both the particle kinetic energy flux and the Poynting energy flux may underlie the structure of observed extragalactic radio jets. The observed collimation of the radio jets can be understood as due to the magnetic pinch effect of the jet axial current. This paper describes numerical simulations of this electromagnetic model, using the two and one-half dimensional [(r, z), (v_r_, vtheta, v_z_)] Maxwell-equation, special-relativistic particle-in-cell plasma code ISIS. Intense current-carrying, relativistic beams of particles are generated, accompanied by an appreciable Poynting energy flux. The theory and simulations suggest a new regime of operation for laboratory foilless diodes in which the generation of self-collimated plasma jets may be possible. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: July 1989 DOI: 10.1086/167582 Bibcode: 1989ApJ...342..135G Keywords: Accretion Disks; Black Holes (Astronomy); Computational Astrophysics; Electrodynamics; Radio Jets (Astronomy); Computer Programs; Maxwell Equation; Plasma Jets; Poynting Theorem; Relativistic Electron Beams; Astrophysics; BLACK HOLES; GALAXIES: JETS; HYDROMAGNETICS; RADIATION MECHANISMS full text sources ADS |