super-Alfvenic Velocity Research Articles

Experimental study of collisionless super-Alfvénic interaction of interpenetrating plasma flows

An experiment on the interaction between an expanding super-Alfvenic laser-produced plasma flow and a magnetized background plasma under conditions in which the ion gyroradius is comparable with the characteristic scale length of magnetic field displacement is described. The depletion of the background plasma in a substantial volume and the formation of a large-amplitude compression pulse propagating with a super-Alfvenic velocity are revealed. The efficiency of energy conversion into perturbations of the background plasma was found to be 25%. Combined data from magnetic, electric, and plasma measurements indicate that the interaction occurs via the magnetic laminar mechanism.

Laboratory model of magnetosphere created by strong plasma perturbation with frozen-in magnetic field

Transient interactions of a magnetic dipole with plasma flow carrying a southward magnetic field has been studied in laboratory experiments. Flow with a transverse frozen-in field was generated by means of laser-produced plasma cross-field expansion into background plasma, which filled a vacuum chamber, along with the external application of a magnetic field prior to interaction. Probe measurements showed that at the plasma parameters realized, effective collisionless Larmor coupling takes place resulting in the formation of strong compressive perturbations, which propagate in the background with super-Alfvenic velocity and generate a frame-transverse electric field comparable in value to the expected induction one in the laboratory. Compression pulses with a southward field interact with a dipole and create a well-defined magnetosphere after a short propagation. Comparison of the magnetospheres created by laser-produced plasma expanding in a vacuum field and in a magnetized background revealed fundamental differences in the structure and behaviour of the electric potential in plasma. In the presence of a frozen-in southward field direct «sub-solar» penetration of outside electric potential deep inside of the magnetosphere was observed to take place, with a velocity close to the upstream Alfven speed.

KELVIN-HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY IN PARTIALLY IONIZED COMPRESSIBLE PLASMAS

The Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability (KHI) has been observed in the solar atmosphere. Ion-neutral collisions may play a relevant role for the growth rate and evolution of the KHI in solar partially ionized plasmas as in, e.g., solar prominences. Here, we investigate the linear phase of the KHI at an interface between two partially ionized magnetized plasmas in the presence of a shear flow. The effects of ion-neutral collisions and compressibility are included in the analysis. We obtain the dispersion relation of the linear modes and perform parametric studies of the unstable solutions. We find that in the incompressible case the KHI is present for any velocity shear regardless the value of the collision frequency. In the compressible case, the domain of instability depends strongly on the plasma parameters, specially the collision frequency and the density contrast. For high collision frequencies and low density contrasts the KHI is present for super-Alfvenic velocity shear only. For high density contrasts the threshold velocity shear can be reduced to sub-Alfvenic values. For the particular case of turbulent plumes in prominences, we conclude that sub-Alfvenic flow velocities can trigger the KHI thanks to the ion-neutral coupling.

REVISITING ACCELERATION OF CHARGED GRAINS IN MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE

We study the acceleration of charged grains by magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) turbulence in the interstellar medium (ISM). We begin with revisiting gyroresonance acceleration by taking into account the fluctuations of grain guiding center along a uniform magnetic field (i.e. nonlinear theory--NLT). We calculate grain velocities due to gyroresonance by fast MHD modes using the NLT for different phases of the ISM, and compare with results obtained using quasi-linear theory (QLT). We find for the parameters applicable to the typical ISM phases that the fluctuations of grain guiding center reduce grain velocities by less than 15 percent, but they can be important for more special circumstances. We confirm that large grains can be accelerated to super-Alfvenic velocities through gyroresonance. For such super-Alfvenic grains, we investigate the effect of further acceleration via transit time damping (TTD) by fast modes. We find that due to the broadening of resonance condition in the NLT, the TTD acceleration is not only important for the cosines of grain pitch angle relative to the magnetic field mu>V_{A}/v, but also for mu<V_{A}/v where v is the grain velocity and V_{A} is the Alfven speed. We show that the TTD acceleration is dominant over the gyroresonance for large grains, and can increase substantially grain velocities induced by gyroresonance acceleration. We quantify another stochastic acceleration mechanism arising from low frequency Alfven waves. We discuss the range of applicability of the mechanisms and their implications.

Shock-related radio emission during coronal mass ejection lift-off?

Aims. We identify the source of fast-drifting decimetric-metric radio emission that is sometimes observed prior to the so-called flare continuum emission. Fast-drift structures and continuum bursts are also observed in association with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), not only flares. Methods. We analyse radio spectral features and images acquired at radio, Hα, EUV, and soft X-ray wavelengths, during an event close to the solar limb on 2 June 2003. Results. The fast-drifting decimetric-metric radio burst corresponds to a moving, wide emission front in the radio images, which is normally interpreted as a signature of a propagating shock wave. A decimetric-metric type II burst where only the second harmonic lane is visible could explain the observations. After long-lasting activity in the active region, the hot and dense loops could be absorbing or suppressing emission at the fundamental plasma frequency. The observed burst speed suggests a super-Alfvenic velocity for the burst driver. The expanding and opening loops, associated with the flare and the early phase of CME lift-off, could be driving the shock. Alternatively, an instantaneous but fast loop expansion could initiate a freely propagating shock wave. The later, complexlooking decametre-hectometre wave type III bursts indicate the existence of a propagating shock, although no interplanetary type II burst was observed during the event. The data does not support CME bow shock or a shock at the flanks of the CME as the origin of the fast-drift decimetric-metric radio source. Therefore super-Alfvenic loop expansion is the best candidate for the initiation of the shock wave, and this result challenges the current view of metric/coronal shocks originating either in the flanks of CMEs or from flare blast waves.

Stellar Winds, Dead Zones, and Coronal Mass Ejections

Axisymmetric stellar wind solutions are presented, obtained by numerically solving the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations. Stationary solutions are critically analysed using the knowledge of the flux functions. These flux functions enter in the general variational principle governing all axisymmetric stationary ideal MHD equilibria. The magnetized wind solutions for (differentially) rotating stars contain both a `wind' and a `dead' zone. We illustrate the influence of the magnetic field topology on the wind acceleration pattern, by varying the coronal field strength and the extent of the dead zone. This is evident from the resulting variations in the location and appearance of the critical curves where the wind speed equals the slow, Alfven, and fast speed. Larger dead zones cause effective, fairly isotropic acceleration to super-Alfvenic velocities as the polar, open field lines are forced to fan out rapidly with radial distance. A higher field strength moves the Alfven transition outwards. In the ecliptic, the wind outflow is clearly modulated by the extent of the dead zone. The combined effect of a fast stellar rotation and an equatorial `dead' zone in a bipolar field configuration can lead to efficient thermo-centrifugal equatorial winds. Such winds show both a strong poleward collimation and some equatorward streamline bending due to significant toroidal field pressure at mid-latitudes. We discuss how coronal mass ejections are then simulated on top of the transonic outflows.

Effects of Shocks on Emission from the Central Engines of Active Galactic Nuclei. I.

In this paper we show that perturbations of the accretion flow within the central engines of some active galactic nuclei (AGNS) are likely to form shock waves in the accreting plasma. Such shocks, which may be either collisional or collisionless, can contribute to the observed high-energy temporal and spectral variability. Our rationale is the following: Observations show that the continuum emission probably originates in an optically thin, hot plasma in the AGN central engine. The flux and spectrum from this hot plasma varies significantly over light crossing timescales. Several authors have suggested that macroscopic perturbations contained within this plasma are the sources of this variability. In order to produce the observed emission the perturbations must be radiatively coupled with the optically thin hot matter and must also move with high velocities. We suggest that shocks, which can be very effective in randomizing the bulk motion of the perturbations, are responsible for this coupling. Shocks should form in the central engine, because the temperatures and magnetic fields are probably reduced below their virial values by radiative dissipation. Perturbations moving at Keplerian speeds, or strong non-linear excitations, result in supersonic and super-Alfvenic velocities leading to shock waves within the hot plasma. We show that even a perturbation smaller than the emitting region can form a shock that significantly modifies the continuum emission in an AGN, and that the spectral and temporal variability from such a shock generally resembles those of radio-quiet AGNS. As an example, the shock inducing perturbation in our model is a small main-sequence star, the capturing and eventual accretion of which are known to be a plausible process. We argue that shocks in the central engine may also provide a natural triggering mechanism for the cold component of Guilbert & Rees two-phase medium and an efficient mecha- nism for angular momentum transfer. Current and future missions, such as ASCA, XTE, XMM, AXAF, and ASTRO-E may determine the importance of shock-related emission from the central engines of AGNS.

Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability for supersonic shear flow at the magnetospheric boundary

It is demonstrated by means of a MHD simulation that a finite thick velocity shear layer with super‐Alfvénic velocity jump is unstable to the Kelvin‐Helmholtz (KH) instability no matter how large the sonic Mach number, a result suggesting that the tail flank boundary is unstable to the KH instability. For supersonic shear flow the unstable mode becomes damped‐oscillatory in the magnetosheath. For both subsonic and supersonic shear flows, the energy flux density into the magnetosphere by the KH instability is large enough to replenish the plasma in the low latitude boundary layer with the tailward flow kinetic energy of observed intensity. A significant fraction of the energy flux density can reach deeper into the magnetosphere and its intensity is comparable to an energy flux density required for excitation of a ULF wave in the magnetosphere.