Related papers: Magnetic acceleration of ultra-relativistic GRB an…
We describe a new paradigm for understanding both relativistic motions and particle acceleration in the M87 jet: a magnetically dominated relativistic flow that naturally produces four relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) shocks…
In this paper, we review recent and ongoing work by our group on numerical simulations of relativistic jets. Relativistic outflows in Astrophysics are related to dilute, high energy plasmas, with physical conditions out of the reach of…
The dynamics of a dissipative Poynting dominated flow subject to a radiation drag due to Compton scattering of ambient photons by relativistic electrons accelerated in reconnecting current sheets is studied. It is found that the efficiency…
Detailed photoionization and radiative acceleration of self-similar magnetocentrifugal accretion disk winds are explored. First, a general-purpose hybrid magnetocentrifugal and radiatively-driven wind model is defined. Solutions are then…
Magnetic reconnection is invoked as one of the primary mechanisms to produce energetic particles. We employ large-scale three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell simulations of reconnection in magnetically-dominated ($\sigma=10$) pair plasmas…
Astrophysical sources of relativistic jets or outflows, such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), active galactic nuclei (AGN) or micro-quasars, often show strong time variability. Despite such impulsive behavior, most models of these sources assume…
The dissipation of energy flux in blazar jets plays a key role in the acceleration of relativistic particles. Two possibilities are commonly considered for the dissipation processes, magnetic reconnection -- possibly triggered by…
Aims. The main goal of the present paper is to provide the first systematic numerical study of the propagation of astrophysical relativistic jets, in the context of high-resolution shock-capturing resistive relativistic magnetohydrodynamics…
We present the first general relativistic hydrodynamic models of the launch and evolution of relativistic jets and winds, driven by thermal energy deposition, possibly due to neutrino-antineutrino annihilation, in the close vicinity of…
It is widely believed that relativistic jets in X-ray binaries and active-galactic nuclei are powered by the rotational energy of black holes. This idea is supported by general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations of…
We have investigated particle acceleration and shock structure associated with an unmagnetized relativistic jet propagating into an unmagnetized plasma. Strong magnetic fields generated in the trailing jet shock lead to transverse…
We perform full 3D numerical simulations of compact objects, such as black holes or neutron stars, boosted through an ambient force-free plasma that posses a uniform magnetization. We study jet formation and energy extraction from the…
This paper presents numerical simulations of test particle Fermi acceleration at relativistic shocks of Lorentz factor Gamma_sh = 2-60, using a realistic downstream magnetic structure obtained from the shock jump conditions. The upstream…
We use ideal axisymmetric relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations to calculate the spindown of a newly formed millisecond, B ~ 10^{15} G, magnetar and its interaction with the surrounding stellar envelope during a core-collapse…
We present a model for relativistic jets which generates a particular angular distribution of Lorentz factor and energy per solid angle. We consider a fireball with specific internal energy E/M launched with bulk Lorentz factor \gamma_B.…
The effect of a mass-loading of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow in a relativistic jet from active galactic nuclei (AGN) due to $\gamma\gamma\rightarrow e^+e^-$ conversion is considered analytically. We argue that the effects of charge…
Steady axisymmetric outflows originating at the hot coronal magnetosphere of a Schwarzschild black hole and surrounding accretion disk are studied in the framework of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD). The assumption of…
We perform the first fully general relativistic, magnetohydrodynamic simulations of dynamically stable hypermassive neutron stars with and without ergoregions to assess the impact of ergoregions on launching magnetically--driven outflows.…
The structure of magnetic reconnection-driven outflows and their dissipation are explored with large-scale, 3-D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. Outflow jets resulting from 3-D reconnection with a finite length x-line form fronts as they…
We present a self-consistent, semi-analytical dynamical model of disk driven outflows in AGNs that are accelerated by a combination of magnetic stresses and radiation pressure. This model will make it possible to examine scenarios in which…