A survey of radio jets with Chandra and HST

Relativistic jets are a common property of radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Understanding jet physical properties is an essential precursor to understanding the mechanisms of energy transport, and ultimately, how energy is extracted from the central black hole. In this paper, I highlight recent developments from Chandra and HST observations of kpc-scale jets in AGN, with particular emphasis on our survey of 17 radio jets in a sample of FRII radio galaxies. These observations show that (1) X-ray and optical emission is common from kpc-scale jets, (2) a large fraction of the bolometric luminosity is emitted at X-rays, and (3) in most sources, a candidate emission process for the X-rays is inverse Compton scattering of the Cosmic Microwave Background off the relativistic electrons in the jet. If the latter scenario holds, the implication is that jets are still relativistic on kpc scales.     

扭转Alfvén波共振的数学描述

提出完备正交函数基(OFSE)展开方法,求解冕环中无耗散扭转Alfvn波。每个基函数对应冕环中每根磁力线的一个固有角频率ω_n,当冕环足点驱动频率等于磁力线的固有频率时,Alfvn波将在这根磁力线处发生共振。采用OFSE方法求解了双足点驱动时冕环Alfvn波的时变演化问题,给出了时变解析解的新形式,其中包含共振项,从共振项可以发现,在共振角频率为ω的共振磁力线附近,在时间t为π/ω的整数倍时,出现δ型间断;在t为π/(2ω)的奇数倍时,出现1/x间断。共振磁力线振幅随时间线性增加,增加的斜率正比于Alfvn波速,反比于冕环长度,与驱动频率无关。     

On ultra-high energy cosmic rays: Origin in AGN jets and transport in expanding universe

The cosmic ray source spectrum produced by AGN (active galactic nucleus) jets is calculated. A distinctive feature of these calculations is the account for the jet distribution on kinetic energy. The expected cosmic ray spectrum at the Earth is determined with the use of a simple numerical code which takes into account interactions of ultra-high energy protons and nuclei with the background radiation in an expanding universe.     

Active galactic nuclei imaging programs of the RadioAstron mission

Imaging relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN) at angular resolution significantly surpassing that of the ground-based VLBI at centimetre wavelengths is one of the key science objectives of the RadioAstron space-VLBI mission. There are three RadioAstron imaging key science programs that target both nearby radio galaxies and blazars, with one of the programs specifically focusing on polarimetry of the jets. The first images from these programs reach angular resolution of a few tens of microarcseconds and reveal unprecedented details about the jet collimation profile, magnetic field configuration, and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities along the flow in some of the most studied AGN (3C 84, BL Lac, 3C 273, S5 0836 + 710). Here we give an overview of the goals and strategy of these three ongoing programs, highlight their early results, and discuss the challenges of space-VLBI imaging.     

Alfvén脉动的控制方程

本文由磁流体力学方程组导出了行星际空间中不可压缩小尺度脉动的控制方程组。对这一组方程的讨论表明,在小振幅极限下,脉动幅度的径向变化可由通常文献中引用的Alfvén波在缓变磁流体介质中传播的WKB解来描述。当脉动幅度与平均磁场强度之比为有限值时,在一般情况下,控制方程中的非线性项不能略去,因而不能用WKB解来描述有限振幅脉动幅度的径向变化。这一结论可以解释为什么在0.3—0.9AU实测Alfvén脉动振幅和谱的变化与WKB解不一致。在这组控制方程的基础上提出了一个定性的模式。将Alfvén脉动看作主要由许多具有不同波矢k的向外传播的有限振幅的Alfvén模式组成。它们在传播过程中将产生一级小量的波动。零级量与一级量的非线性相互作用使波能向高频区串级。零级量波动振幅的变化不仅受到太阳风慢变化的影响,而且受到这一非线性相互作用的影响。这一模式可以定性解释主要的Alfvén脉动的观测事实。      

Multiwavelength monitoring of active galactic nuclei

Recent multiwavelength monitoring of active galactic nuclei (AGN), particularly with the IUE satellite, has produced extraordinary advances in our understanding of the energy-generation mechanism(s) in the central engine and of the structure of the surrounding material. Examples discussed here include both ordinary AGN and blazars (the collective name for highly variable, radio-loud AGN like BL Lac objects and Optically Violently Variable quasars). In the last decade, efforts to obtain single-epoch multiwavelength spectra led to fundamentally new models for the structure of AGN, involving accretion disks for AGN and relativistic jets for blazars. Recent extensions of multiwavelength spectroscopy into the temporal domain have shown that while these general pictures may be correct, the details were probably wrong. Campaigns to monitor Seyfert 1 galaxies like NGC 4151, NGC 5548 and Fairall 9 at infrared, optical, ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths indicate that broad-emission line regions are stratified by ionization, density, and velocity; argue against a standard thin accretion disk model; and suggest that X-rays represent primary rather than reprocessed radiation. For blazars, years of radio monitoring indicated emission from an inhomogeneous synchrotron-emitting plasma, which could also produce at least some of the shorter-wavelength emission. The recent month-long campaign to observe the BL Lac object PKS 2155-304 has revealed remarkably rapid variability that extends from the infrared through the X-ray with similar amplitude and little or no discernible lag. This lends strong support to relativistic jet models and rules out the proposed accretion disk model for the ultraviolet-X-ray continuum.     

Alfvén波在任意流场、磁场位形中的传播

本文研究具有任意偏振和非单色的Alfvén波, 在任意流场、磁场位形且有粘、热各向异性等离子体流介质中的传播.采用WKB近似可以获得它的波幅矢量的张量表达式, 它是介质密度、速度、磁场、Alfvén波速、热各向异性和粘性的函数.文中对简单情形进行了讨论, 结果表明:本文结果是对普遍情形的一种简明的综合和概括, 便于研究三维传播问题.      

Determination of temperature maps of EUV coronal hole jets

Coronal hole jets are fast ejections of plasma occurring within coronal holes, observed at Extreme-UltraViolet (EUV) and X-ray wavelengths. Recent observations of jets by the STEREO and Hinode missions show that they are transient phenomena which occur at much higher rates than large-scale impulsive phenomena like flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). In this paper we describe some typical characteristics of coronal jets observed by the SECCHI instruments of STEREO spacecraft. We show an example of 3D reconstruction of the helical structure for a south pole jet, and present how the angular distribution of the jet position angles changes from the Extreme-UltraViolet-Imager (EUVI) field of view to the CORonagraph1 (COR1) (height ∼2.0 R_⊙ heliocentric distance) field of view. Then we discuss a preliminary temperature determination for the jet plasma by using the filter ratio method at 171 and 195 Å and applying a technique for subtracting the EUV background radiation. The results show that jets are characterized by electron temperatures ranging between 0.8 and 1.3 MK. We present the thermal structure of the jet as temperature maps and we describe its thermal evolution.     

带有平行电场的Alfven激波样结构——极光粒子加速机制

动力Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波在邓散和反演耗散作用下,非线性化成类似激波样的结构,它携带的平行电场为极光粒子加速提供了新机制,Ｆｒｅｊａ卫星观测到相似的孤立Ａｌｆｖｅｎ结构。     

流动拓扑对液体射流失稳与雾化的影响

在大推力液体火箭发动机燃烧过程中，推进剂射流失稳与雾化是起始环节，会对后续蒸发与燃烧等过程产生显著影响。尽管前人做过很多研究，但对湍流射流雾化机理的认知还存在盲区。基于此通过流动拓扑理论来揭示湍流液体平面射流的雾化机理。采用直接数值模拟方法对静止空气环境下的液体平面射流雾化过程进行了高分辨率数值模拟，分析了流场中不同拓扑结构与气液界面曲率的相互影响，阐明了流动拓扑对液体平面射流雾化的影响机制。研究发现，所有流动拓扑结构都有助于产生压缩应变率和拉伸应变率，其中不稳定焦点结构(UFC)拓扑结构对流场应变率的影响最大；在流动拓扑结构影响下，液体体积分数等值面的曲率与应变呈现负相关关系。另外，UFC主要产生拉伸应变率，而其余流动拓扑结构主要产生压缩应变率。研究结果表明: 射流雾化过程主要受到UFC拓扑结构的影响，UFC会促进气液界面产生较大的拉伸应变率，进而促进片状或管状结构液体结构生成，从而引起液体射流破碎。      

阿尔文波传能对太阳黑子致冷的有效性

本文研究了太阳黑子的致冷问题，认为太阳黑子磁场受其流场扰动，形成大量的磁流体波，这种波把太阳黑子的热能转变成波能，以阿尔文速度沿着磁场传播，把能量携带出黑子区域，致使太阳黑子冷却。     

合成射流作用机理及其对共轴射流掺混的影响

对合成射流流场及其作用下的内、外涵共轴射流流场进行了二维非定常数值模拟, 研究了合成射流流场和共轴射流流场情况.结果表明,合成射流由一系列对称分布在中心线 2侧的旋涡对组成,频率与激振频率相同,对外场构成一扰动力;涡对自形成后向远处运移 速基本稳定;腔内和腔外涡对的形成及发展变化过程总体保持一致,在每时刻则呈现截然相 反的发展态势;中心线速度的降幅起伏变化分布是由激励器的激振变化引起的,体现了涡量 产生、发展变化的基本特征;合成射流激励器的采用可使共轴射流截面掺混率比未加激励时 得到增加,增强了共轴射流的掺混效果.      

Ion dynamics associated with Alfven wave in the near-Earth magnetotail: Two-dimensional global hybrid simulation

Ion dynamics in the near-Earth magnetotail region is examined during periods of fast Earthward flow with a two-dimensional (2-D) global-scale hybrid simulation. The simulation shows that shear Alfven waves are generated at x ∼ −10R_E, where the strong earthward flow is arrested by the dipole field, and propagate along field lines from the equator to both southern and northern polar ionosphere. Non-gyrotropic ion velocity distributions occur where the large-amplitude Alfven waves are dominant. The simulation indicates that the Alfven waves are generated by interaction of the fast earthward flow with the stationary near-Earth plasma. Beam ions are found to be pitch-angle scattered and trapped in the wave field, leading to the non-gyrotropic ion distributions in the high-latitude plasma sheet boundary. In addition, significant particle heating and acceleration are found to occur behind the dipolarization front due to the effect of wave turbulence.     

有限β等离子体中密度和磁场不均匀驱动的动理学Alfven波

在分析有限β等离子体中的密度、磁场不均匀引起的漂移波不稳定性的基础上，剖析了漂移波不稳定性对动理学Alfven波激发的作用．动理学理论能正确地处理有限拉莫半径效应和波粒共振相互作用，本文根据带电粒子在电磁场中的运动特性，采用Vlasov方程描述离子运动，运用漂移动理学方程对电子运动进行描述．密度不均匀和磁场不均匀对产生漂移不稳定性的对比分析表明：在有限β等离子体中，密度不均匀比磁场不均匀更易激发漂移不稳定性，且密度不均匀激发漂移不稳定性中的能量转换和转移更为强烈．这种能量的转换为动理学Alfven波的激发提供了物理基础．所得数值解表明：动理学Alfven波在磁层中能广泛地被激发产生，特别是在磁层空间的极尖区、磁层顶和等离子体片边界层等具有明显的不均匀性区域中更容易被激发产生．本文的研究结果进一步表明动理学Alfven波对磁层空间中能量传输具有重要作用．     

0.3AU和1AU之间高速太阳风的加速和加热机制

本文应用Helios飞船在0.3AU和1AU之间的高速太阳风质子和磁流涨落观测, 同时考察了包括各种可能的加速和加热效应的高速太阳风动量方程和质子能量方程.分析表明在碰撞为主的等离子体条件下导出的经典粘性系数表式明显地不适用于太阳风等离子体;在0.3AU和1AU之间主要加速力是热压梯度力和Alfven波压力, 背景磁场的洛伦兹力可忽略;在减速方面, 除了太阳重力外, 还需存在其它减速机制, 才能使太阳风动量平衡.看来唯有粘性能同时满足减速和加热这两种要求.      

Simulation of cometary jets in interaction with the solar wind

The influence of cometary jets on the solar wind interaction is studied with a 3D hybrid simulation. Anisotropic outgassing patterns were until recently not considered in cometary simulations, despite strong anisotropies found at observations. Comet 67P Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the target of the ROSETTA mission, was chosen as a case study for a simulation series. The cometary outgassing at 2.7 AU is modeled to originate from a single sun-facing jet with different levels of collimation, from isotropy to extremely thin jets. As no bow shock is present at this distance, solar wind patterns resulting from the anisotropic outgassing become more apparent. We find narrower jets to increase the standoff distance of the plasma interaction structures. Also, the Mach cone is wider and stronger for certain jet profiles. The magnetic field remains unable to propagate through the coma, resulting in strong draping patterns for narrow jets due to the increased standoff distance.     

太阳风中动力论Alfven波湍流谱(b)二次激发

根据行星际Alfven湍流是由动力论Alfven波集合形成的模型理论。将行星际Alfven湍流分为三个区域:湍流耗散区、二次激发区和湍流惯性区。并对各区湍流谱的特性分别给出解释。由动力论Alfven波的二次激发和衰减,解释了太阳风高速流质子温度高于电子的事实。      

太阳风中的动力论Alfven激波

本文指出因动力论Alfven波的存在非线性作用，从而能引起波连续陡化;这种情况下考虑频散效应，理论上应该形成中间激波.针对这一物理思想，在二元流体模型下，引进离子声反常阻尼，数值解出中间激波的结构.     

Polarization VLBI observations of AGN jets now and into the future

The history of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations has been characterized predominantly by an ongoing quest for increasingly high resolution and sensitivity. VLBI monitoring of relatively large samples of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) with uniform quality and linear polarization sensitivity are now available at the moderately high frequencies of 15 and 43 GHz. This has enabled considerable advances in our understanding of the relativistic jets of AGNs, but gaps in the available observational material remain, which must be addressed in future VLBI polarization observations. Linear polarization observations at frequencies above 43 GHz remain non-routine, and the availability of multi-frequency and circular polarization measurements is still limited. It is of interest both to push inward toward the jet base and to study details of the jets themselves on parsec scales, such as magnetic field structures along and across the jets, which are intrinsically related to their formation, launching and propagation. Requirements for future VLBI polarization observations are considered, highlighting the key role that can be played by space VLBI observations. Unique opportunities are offered by relatively low-frequency space VLBI observations that are sensitive to effects such as Faraday rotation, opacity, and low-frequency absorption.     

子午面内Alfvén波的传播特征

本文使用由ＷＫＢ近似得到的Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波传播的张量表达式,具体计算和讨论了一种太阳子午面内含盔形－电流片磁位形的流场中Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波的传播特征,主要结果是：（１）Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波磁场起伏随日心距离的增加而衰减,其中极开区的衰减远快于赤道区,但随着距离的增大,这种纬度关系将迅速变弱,以致在较远空间,磁起伏相差很小,衰减很慢;（２）Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波的相对磁场起伏ｂ／Ｂ随着距离的增加而迅速增大,在几个太阳半径之后变化不再明显,达到所谓的＂饱和＂;在大日心距离的盔形电流片附近,Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波将成为重要的磁场组成部分;（３）Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波速度起伏纬度关系较为明显,相对速度起伏。ｕ／Ｕ随着距离增大而衰减,电流片区衰减得较快,但这种纬度差别将变弱．与黄道面内Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波传播特征的具体比较表明,磁场涨落的变化特征与背景场位形存在着十分密切的关系,但速度涨落与背景场没有这种明显关系．