Simulating the Diverse Instabilities of Dust in Magnetized Gas

Abstract

Recently Squire & Hopkins showed that charged dust grains moving through magnetized gas under the influence of any external force (e.g. radiation pressure, gravity) are subject to a spectrum of instabilities. Qualitatively distinct instability families are associated with different Alfvenic or magnetosonic waves and drift or gyro motion. We present a suite of simulations exploring these instabilities, for grains in a homogeneous medium subject to an external acceleration. We vary parameters such as the ratio of Lorentz-to-drag forces on dust, plasma $\beta$, size scale, and acceleration. All regimes studied drive turbulent motions and dust-to-gas fluctuations in the saturated state, can rapidly amplify magnetic fields into equipartition with velocity fluctuations, and produce instabilities that persist indefinitely (despite random grain motions). Different parameters produce diverse morphologies and qualitatively different features in dust, but the saturated gas state can be broadly characterized as anisotropic magnetosonic or Alfvenic turbulence. Quasi-linear theory can qualitatively predict the gas turbulent properties. Turbulence grows from small to large scales, and larger-scale modes usually drive more vigorous gas turbulence, but dust velocity and density fluctuations are more complicated. In many regimes, dust forms structures (clumps, filaments, sheets) that reach extreme over-densities (up to $\gg 10^9$ times mean), and exhibit substantial sub-structure even in nearly-incompressible gas. These can be even more prominent at lower dust-to-gas ratios. In other regimes, dust self-excites scattering via magnetic fluctuations that isotropize and amplify dust velocities, producing fast, diffusive dust motions.

30 pages, 29 figures, Revised to match published MNRAS version. Animations and higher-resolution images available at http://www.tapir.caltech.edu/~phopkins/Site/animations/dust-and-gas-in-astrophysic/ . Simulation code available at http://www.tapir.caltech.edu/~phopkins/Site/GIZMO.html

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