Relativistic Jet Stability and Structure from the Alfven Point Outwards

Abstract

The amplitude of jet distortions and accompanying pressure and velocity fluctuations resulting from Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of three dimensional relativistic jets are explored. The effect of instability on jets as they accelerate from sub- to super-Alfvénic speeds is explored and a relativistic stabilization mechanism for trans-Alfvénic jets is proposed. The level to which asymmetric instabilities on supermagnetosonic relativistic jets will grow is predicted theoretically and a Doppler boosted ``apparent'' emissivity is computed. Effects due to helically twisted filamentary structure produced by asymmetric modes of instability should be readily observable on relativistic jets.

10 pages, 3 figures, uses texas.sty file, to appear in the Proceedings of the 19th Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology (CD-ROM)