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Magnetohydrodynamic Production of Relativistic Jets
David L. Meier,1*Shinji Koide,2Yutaka Uchida3
A number of astronomical systems have been discovered
that generate collimated flows of plasma with velocities close to thespeed of light. In all cases, the central object is probably aneutron
star or black hole and is either accreting material fromother stars or
is in the initial violent stages of formation.Supercomputer
simulations of the production of relativistic jetshave been based on a
magnetohydrodynamic model, in which differentialrotation in the system
creates a magnetic coil that simultaneouslyexpels and pinches some of
the infalling material. The model mayexplain the basic features of
observed jets, including their speedand amount of collimation, and
some of the details in the behaviorand statistics of different
jet-producing sources.
1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of
Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
2 Faculty of
Engineering, Toyama University, Gofuku 3190, Toyama 930-8555, Japan.
3 Physics Department, Science University of Tokyo,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162, Japan.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
David.L.Meier{at}jpl.nasa.gov
