Dynamic and Stagnating Plasma Flow Leading to Magnetic Flux Tube Collimation
Plasma Physics
2009-11-11 v1 Space Physics
Abstract
Highly collimated, plasma-filled magnetic flux tubes are frequently observed on galactic, stellar and laboratory scales. We propose that a single, universal magnetohydrodynamic pumping process explains why such collimated, plasma-filled magnetic flux tubes are ubiquitous. Experimental evidence from carefully diagnosed laboratory simulations of astrophysical jets confirms this assertion and is reported here. The magnetohydrodynamic process pumps plasma into a magnetic flux tube and the stagnation of the resulting flow causes this flux tube to become collimated.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.physics/0506221,
title = {Dynamic and Stagnating Plasma Flow Leading to Magnetic Flux Tube Collimation},
author = {Setthivoine You and Paul M. Bellan and Gunsu Yun},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/0506221},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
to be published in PRL; color figures on electronic version