Relativistic MHD simulations of collision-induced magnetic dissipation in Poynting-flux-dominated jets/outflows

Abstract

We perform 3D relativistic ideal MHD simulations to study the collisions between high-$\sigma$ (Poynting-flux-dominated) blobs which contain both poloidal and toroidal magnetic field components. This is meant to mimic the interactions inside a highly variable Poynting-flux-dominated jet. We discover a significant electromagnetic field (EMF) energy dissipation with an Alfvénic rate with the efficiency around 35\%. Detailed analyses show that this dissipation is mostly facilitated by the collision-induced magnetic reconnection. Additional resolution and parameter studies show a robust result that the relative EMF energy dissipation efficiency is nearly independent of the numerical resolution or most physical parameters in the relevant parameter range. The reconnection outflows in our simulation can potentially form the multi-orientation relativistic mini-jets as needed for several analytical models. We also find a linear relationship between the $\sigma$ values before and after the major EMF energy dissipation process. Our results give support to the proposed astrophysical models that invoke significant magnetic energy dissipation in Poynting-flux-dominated jets, such as the internal collision-induced magnetic reconnection and turbulence (ICMART) model for GRBs, and reconnection triggered mini-jets model for AGNs.

20 pages 20 figures, submitted to ApJ

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• Numerical and analytical solutions of Neutrino-Dominated Accretion Flows with a Non-Zero Torque Boundary Condition and its applications in Gamma-ray Bursts
• The Photosphere Emission Spectrum of Hybrid Relativistic Outflow for Gamma-ray Bursts
• Gamma-ray Burst Prompt Emission Spectrum and $E_p$ Evolution Patterns in the ICMART Model
• Overall Spectral Properties of Prompt Emissions with Diverse Segments in Swift/BAT Short Gamma-ray Bursts
• Gamma-ray Burst Spectrum with a Time-dependent Injection Rate of High-energy Electrons
• External Shock in a Multi-Bursting Gamma-ray Burst: Energy Injection Phase induced by the Later Launched Ejecta
• Jet-Structure Imprint on the Curvature Tail of Gamma-Ray Burst Prompt Emission
• Synchrotron spectra of GRB prompt emission and pulsar wind nebulae
• Shock corrugation to the rescue of the internal shock model in microquasars: The single-scale MHD view