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Evolution of the magnetorotational instability on initially tangled magnetic fields

Journal Article · · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); DOE/OSTI
  2. Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
  3. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
  4. Pune Univ. Campus, Ganeshkhind (India). Inter Univ. Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics
+ Show Author Affiliations
The initial magnetic field of previous magnetorotational instability (MRI) simulations has always included a significant system-scale component, even if stochastic. However, it is of conceptual and practical interest to assess whether the MRI can grow when the initial field is turbulent. The ubiquitous presence of turbulent or random flows in astrophysical plasmas generically leads to a small-scale dynamo (SSD), which would provide initial seed turbulent velocity and magnetic fields in the plasma that becomes an accretion disc. Can the MRI grow from these more realistic initial conditions? To address this, we supply a standard shearing box with isotropically forced SSD generated magnetic and velocity fields as initial conditions and remove the forcing. We find that if the initially supplied fields are too weak or too incoherent, they decay from the initial turbulent cascade faster than they can grow via the MRI. When the initially supplied fields are sufficient to allow MRI growth and sustenance, the saturated stresses, large-scale fields and power spectra match those of the standard zero net flux MRI simulation with an initial large-scale vertical field.
Research Organization:
Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012467
OSTI ID:
1540613
Journal Information:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Journal Name: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 472; ISSN 0035-8711
Publisher:
Royal Astronomical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Radiation thermo-chemical models of protoplanetary disks: Grain and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon charging journal November 2019
Radiation thermo-chemical models of protoplanetary disks. Grain and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon charging text January 2018

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79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
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