Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2004-11-26
Astrophys.J. 621 (2005) 635-642
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Accepted for publication in ApJ (Part I). Low res. figures; originals may be obtained from the "Relativistic Flows" section of
Scientific paper
10.1086/427742
Evidence that the magnetic fields of extragalactic jets have a significant fraction of their energy in a random component is briefly summarized, and a detailed model of evolving, jet polarization structures is constructed, based on this picture. The evolving magnetic field structure of an oblique shock complex that forms in a relativistic jet simulation is explored by using velocity data from the hydrodynamical simulation to advect an initially random magnetic field distribution. Radiative transfer calculations reveal that emission from a propagating region of magnetic field, `ordered' by the shock, and lying approximately transverse to the flow direction, merges with that from an evolving sheared region at the flow periphery. If such a flow were barely resolved, observation would suggest evolution from a somewhat oblique, to a more longitudinal, magnetic field structure with respect to the flow axis, while higher resolution observations would infer a component following a non-linear trajectory, and with a magnetic field orientation that rotates during evolution. This result highlights the ambiguity in interpreting VLBP data, and illustrates the importance of simulations in providing a framework for proper interpretation of such data.
No associations
LandOfFree
The Origin of Complex Behavior of Linearly Polarized Components in Parsec-Scale Jets does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with The Origin of Complex Behavior of Linearly Polarized Components in Parsec-Scale Jets, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Origin of Complex Behavior of Linearly Polarized Components in Parsec-Scale Jets will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-353024