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Instabilities and Nonlinear Dynamics Beyond the Magnetic Threshold

Applicant Professor Dr. Reinhard Schlickeiser, since 4/2013
Subject Area Astrophysics and Astronomy
Term from 2008 to 2016
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 60352348
 
The interaction of black holes with the surrounding plasma results in streams of charged particles. This plasma originates, for example, from companion stars in the case of microquasars. Initially, the plasma is forced onto an accretion disc. The plasma in the disc is heated by instabilities and some of it leaves the system in form of a jet. These jets emit electromagnetic waves, which are partially due to synchrotron radiation. The relativistic electrons and strong magnetic fields, which are required by the synchrotron mechanism, are probably generated by shocks in the jet. We explore processes close to such shock waves by means of particle-in-cell and Vlasov simulations. An initial magnetic field in the simulation setup suppresses the known plasma filamentation, which facilitates the development of instabilites that yield electromagnetic waves with an electrostatic component. First promising test simulations have demonstrated that such waves can yield magnetic field strengths and electron energies that could explain the synchrotron emissions observed from jets.
DFG Programme Research Units
Ehemaliger Antragsteller Professor Dr. Padma Kant Shukla, until 4/2013 (†)
 
 

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