Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 045002 (2005) [4 pages]Dynamic and Stagnating Plasma Flow Leading to Magnetic-Flux-Tube Collimation
See accompanying Physics Focus Highly collimated, plasma-filled magnetic-flux tubes are frequently observed on galactic, stellar, and laboratory scales. We propose that a single, universal magnetohydrodynamic pumping process explains why such collimated, plasma-filled magnetic-flux tubes are ubiquitous. Experimental evidence from carefully diagnosed laboratory simulations of astrophysical jets confirms this assertion and is reported here. The magnetohydrodynamic process pumps plasma into a magnetic-flux tube and the stagnation of the resulting flow causes this flux tube to become collimated. © 2005 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.045002
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.045002
PACS:
95.30.Qd, 52.30.−q, 52.72.+v
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