Magnetically striped relativistic magnetohydrodynamic winds - The Crab Nebula revisited

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/168340· OSTI ID:6918019

Coroniti, F V ^[1]

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1. California Univ., Los Angeles (USA)

Previous relativistic pair plasma MHD wind models of the Crab Nebula indicate that the ratio of the wind's Poynting flux to particle kinetic energy flux must be very small. However, many current theories of pulsar magnetospheres and pulsar observations suggest that the spin-down luminosity should be primarily electromagnetic in origin and outward transport. For an oblique rotator, the asymptotic wind magnetic field near the rotational equator should consist of stripes of alternating toroidal field. A simple model of an initially high-sigma striped MHD wind is developed which describes the reconnection annihilation of the opposite polarity stripes as the wind flows radially outward. The initially dominant Poynting flux is converted into particle thermal and directed kinetic energy well within the inner standing shock which terminates the superfast wind. 25 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6918019
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 349; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
CRAB NEBULA
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
LUMINOSITY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
NEBULAE
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
POYNTING THEOREM
PULSARS
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
STELLAR MAGNETOSPHERES
STELLAR WINDS
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS