Magnetic fields in jets: ordered or disordered?

Abstract

The question of the degree of order in the magnetic fields of relativistic jets is important to any understanding of their production. Both vector-ordered (e.g. helical) and disordered, but anisotropic fields can produce the high observed degrees of polarization. We outline our models of jets in FR I radio galaxies as decelerating relativistic flows. We then present theoretical calculations of the synchrotron emission from different field configurations and compare them with observed emission from FR I jets. We show that large-scale helical fields (with significant poloidal and toroidal components) are inconsistent with observations. The combination of an ordered toroidal and disordered poloidal component is consistent with our data, as is an entirely disordered field. Jets must also contain small, but significant amounts of radial field.

5 pages, 6 figures, requires an.cls. To appear in the Proceedings of the International Conference: "The Origin and Evolution of Cosmic Magnetism"; Bologna 29 August - 2 September 2005; eds R. Beck, G. Brunetti, L. Feretti, and B. Gaensler (Astronomische Nachrichten, 2006)

References in corpus (5)

• Relativistic models and the jet velocity field in the radio galaxy 3C 31
• A relativistic model of the radio jets in NGC 315
• Adiabatic relativistic models for the jets in the radio galaxy 3C 31
• Relativistic models of two low-luminosity radio jets: B2 0326+39 and B2 1553+24
• The jets in 3C 296

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Parsec-scale Faraday Rotation Measures from General Relativistic MHD Simulations of Active Galactic Nuclei Jets
• Signatures of large-scale magnetic fields in AGN jets: transverse asymmetries
• Full Polarization Spectra of 3C 279
• Analysing the Transverse Structure of the Relativistic Jets of AGN
• A Numerical Model of Hercules A by Magnetic Tower: Jet/Lobe Transition, Wiggling, and the Magnetic Field Distribution
• Inverse Depolarization: A Potential Probe of Internal Faraday Rotation and Helical Magnetic Fields in Extragalactic Radio Jets
• Multi-waveband polarimetric observations of NRAO 530 on parsec-scale
• Transport of relativistic jet in the magnetized intergalactic medium