Suppressed heat conductivity in the intracluster medium: implications for the magneto-thermal instability

Abstract In the outskirts of the intracluster medium (ICM) in galaxy clusters, the temperature decreases with radius. Due to the weakly collisional nature of the plasma, these regions are susceptible to the magneto-thermal instability (MTI), which can sustain turbulence and provide turbulent pressure support in the ICM. This instability arises due to heat conduction directed along the magnetic field, with a heat conductivity which is normally assumed to be given by the Spitzer value. Recent numerical studies of the ion mirror and the electron whistler instability using particle-in-cell codes have shown that microscale instabilities can lead to a reduced value for the heat conductivity in the ICM. This could in turn influence the efficiency with which the MTI drives turbulence. In this paper we investigate the influence of reduced heat transport on the nonlinear evolution of the MTI. We study plane-parallel, initially static atmospheres and employ a subgrid model that mimics the influence of the mirror instability on the heat conductivity. We use this subgrid model to assess the effect of microscales on the large scale dynamics of the ICM. We find that the nonlinear saturation of the MTI is surprisingly robust in our simulations. Over a factor of ∼103 in the thermal-to-magnetic pressure ratio and collisionality we find at most modest changes to the saturation of the MTI with respect to reference simulations where heat transport is unsuppressed.

Download Full-text

Connecting magnetic fields from sub-galactic scale to clusters of galaxies and beyond with cosmological MHD simulations

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921316006396 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (A29B) ◽

pp. 699-699

Author(s):

Klaus Dolag ◽

Alexander M. Beck ◽

Alexander Arth

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Magnetic Fields ◽

Heat Transport ◽

Galaxy Clusters ◽

Large Scale ◽

High Redshift ◽

Galactic Halos ◽

Rotation Measure ◽

The Magnetic Field ◽

Good Agreement

AbstractUsing the MHD version of Gadget3 (Stasyszyn, Dolag & Beck 2013) and a model for the seeding of magnetic fields by supernovae (SN), we performed simulations of the evolution of the magnetic fields in galaxy clusters and study their effects on the heat transport within the intra cluster medium (ICM). This mechanism – where SN explosions during the assembly of galaxies provide magnetic seed fields – has been shown to reproduce the magnetic field in Milky Way-like galactic halos (Beck et al. 2013). The build up of the magnetic field at redshifts before z = 5 and the accordingly predicted rotation measure evolution are also in good agreement with current observations. Such magnetic fields present at high redshift are then transported out of the forming protogalaxies into the large-scale structure and pollute the ICM (in a similar fashion to metals transport). Here, complex velocity patterns, driven by the formation process of cosmic structures are further amplifying and distributing the magnetic fields. In galaxy clusters, the magnetic fields therefore get amplified to the observed μG level and produce the observed amplitude of rotation measures of several hundreds of rad/m2. We also demonstrate that heat conduction in such turbulent fields on average is equivalent to a suppression factor around 1/20th of the classical Spitzer value and in contrast to classical, isotropic heat transport leads to temperature structures within the ICM compatible with observations (Arth et al. 2014).

Download Full-text

Generation and decay of the magnetic field in collisionless shocks

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921317001156 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (S324) ◽

pp. 62-65

Author(s):

Mikhail Garasev ◽

Evgeny Derishev

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Large Scale ◽

Field Energy ◽

Magnetic Field Generation ◽

Collisionless Shocks ◽

Particle In Cell ◽

Magnetic Field Energy ◽

Relativistic Shocks ◽

Continuous Injection ◽

The Magnetic Field

AbstractWe present the results of numerical particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of the magnetic field generation and decay in the upstream of collisionless shocks. We use the model, where the magnetic field in the incoming flow is generated by continuous injection of anisotropic electron-positron pairs. We found that the continuous injection of anisotropic plasma in the upstream of the shock-wave generates the large-scale, slowly decaying magnetic field that is later amplified during the passage of the shock front. In our simulations the magnetic field energy reached ~0.01 of the equipartition value, after that it slowly decays on the time scale proportional to the duration of the injection in the upstream. Thus, the magnetic field survives for a sufficiently long time, and supports efficient synchrotron radiation from relativistic shocks, e.g., in GRBs.

Download Full-text

Evolution of Large-Scale Coronal Structures

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100024945 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 144 ◽

pp. 29-33

Author(s):

P. Ambrož

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Field Line ◽

Large Scale ◽

Coronal Magnetic Field ◽

Source Surface ◽

Solar Cycles ◽

Characteristic Relationship ◽

The Magnetic Field ◽

Coronal Structures

AbstractThe large-scale coronal structures observed during the sporadically visible solar eclipses were compared with the numerically extrapolated field-line structures of coronal magnetic field. A characteristic relationship between the observed structures of coronal plasma and the magnetic field line configurations was determined. The long-term evolution of large scale coronal structures inferred from photospheric magnetic observations in the course of 11- and 22-year solar cycles is described.Some known parameters, such as the source surface radius, or coronal rotation rate are discussed and actually interpreted. A relation between the large-scale photospheric magnetic field evolution and the coronal structure rearrangement is demonstrated.

Download Full-text

An 84-μG Magnetic Field in a Galaxy at Z=0.692?

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921308027439 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 4 (S254) ◽

pp. 95-96

Author(s):

Arthur M. Wolfe ◽

Regina A. Jorgenson ◽

Timothy Robishaw ◽

Carl Heiles ◽

Jason X. Prochaska

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Magnetic Fields ◽

Faraday Rotation ◽

Large Scale ◽

Dynamo Model ◽

Magnetic Field Generation ◽

Interstellar Gas ◽

Splitting Technique ◽

Average Value ◽

The Magnetic Field

AbstractThe magnetic field pervading our Galaxy is a crucial constituent of the interstellar medium: it mediates the dynamics of interstellar clouds, the energy density of cosmic rays, and the formation of stars (Beck 2005). The field associated with ionized interstellar gas has been determined through observations of pulsars in our Galaxy. Radio-frequency measurements of pulse dispersion and the rotation of the plane of linear polarization, i.e., Faraday rotation, yield an average value B ≈ 3 μG (Han et al. 2006). The possible detection of Faraday rotation of linearly polarized photons emitted by high-redshift quasars (Kronberg et al. 2008) suggests similar magnetic fields are present in foreground galaxies with redshifts z > 1. As Faraday rotation alone, however, determines neither the magnitude nor the redshift of the magnetic field, the strength of galactic magnetic fields at redshifts z > 0 remains uncertain.Here we report a measurement of a magnetic field of B ≈ 84 μG in a galaxy at z =0.692, using the same Zeeman-splitting technique that revealed an average value of B = 6 μG in the neutral interstellar gas of our Galaxy (Heiles et al. 2004). This is unexpected, as the leading theory of magnetic field generation, the mean-field dynamo model, predicts large-scale magnetic fields to be weaker in the past, rather than stronger (Parker 1970).The full text of this paper was published in Nature (Wolfe et al. 2008).

Download Full-text

No-z Model for Magnetic Fields of Different Astrophysical Objects and Stability of the Solutions

Data ◽

10.3390/data6010004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 4

Author(s):

Evgeny Mikhailov ◽

Daniela Boneva ◽

Maria Pashentseva

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Magnetic Fields ◽

Large Scale ◽

Point Of View ◽

Accretion Discs ◽

Wide Range ◽

Astrophysical Objects ◽

Alpha Effect ◽

The Stability ◽

The Magnetic Field

A wide range of astrophysical objects, such as the Sun, galaxies, stars, planets, accretion discs etc., have large-scale magnetic fields. Their generation is often based on the dynamo mechanism, which is connected with joint action of the alpha-effect and differential rotation. They compete with the turbulent diffusion. If the dynamo is intensive enough, the magnetic field grows, else it decays. The magnetic field evolution is described by Steenbeck—Krause—Raedler equations, which are quite difficult to be solved. So, for different objects, specific two-dimensional models are used. As for thin discs (this shape corresponds to galaxies and accretion discs), usually, no-z approximation is used. Some of the partial derivatives are changed by the algebraic expressions, and the solenoidality condition is taken into account as well. The field generation is restricted by the equipartition value and saturates if the field becomes comparable with it. From the point of view of mathematical physics, they can be characterized as stable points of the equations. The field can come to these values monotonously or have oscillations. It depends on the type of the stability of these points, whether it is a node or focus. Here, we study the stability of such points and give examples for astrophysical applications.

Download Full-text

Circumstellar environment of 55 Cancri

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201937186 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 633 ◽

pp. A48 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

C. P. Folsom ◽

D. Ó Fionnagáin ◽

L. Fossati ◽

A. A. Vidotto ◽

C. Moutou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Stellar Wind ◽

Large Scale ◽

Rotation Axis ◽

Doppler Imaging ◽

Magnetic Pole ◽

Average Strength ◽

Detailed Understanding ◽

The Magnetic Field ◽

Circumstellar Environment

Context. 55 Cancri hosts five known exoplanets, most notably the hot super-Earth 55 Cnc e, which is one of the hottest known transiting super-Earths. Aims. Because of the short orbital separation and host star brightness, 55 Cnc e provides one of the best opportunities for studying star-planet interactions (SPIs). We aim to understand possible SPIs in this system, which requires a detailed understanding of the stellar magnetic field and wind impinging on the planet. Methods. Using spectropolarimetric observations and Zeeman Doppler Imaging, we derived a map of the large-scale stellar magnetic field. We then simulated the stellar wind starting from the magnetic field map, using a 3D magneto-hydrodynamic model. Results. The map of the large-scale stellar magnetic field we derive has an average strength of 3.4 G. The field has a mostly dipolar geometry; the dipole is tilted by 90° with respect to the rotation axis and the dipolar strength is 5.8 G at the magnetic pole. The wind simulations based on this magnetic geometry lead us to conclude that 55 Cnc e orbits inside the Alfvén surface of the stellar wind, implying that effects from the planet on the wind can propagate back to the stellar surface and result in SPI.

Download Full-text

Large scale magnetic anomalies over western Canada and the Arctic: a discussion

Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences ◽

10.1139/e76-082 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 790-802 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

R. L. Coles ◽

G. V. Haines ◽

W. Hannaford

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Large Scale ◽

Elevated Temperatures ◽

Magnetic Anomalies ◽

The Arctic ◽

Evolutionary Development ◽

Magnetic Feature ◽

Western Canada ◽

Arctic Regions ◽

The Magnetic Field

A contoured map of vertical magnetic field residuals (relative to the IGRF) over western Canada and adjacent Arctic regions has been produced by amalgamating new data with those from previous surveys. The measurements were made at altitudes between 3.5 and 5.5 km above sea level. The map shows the form of the magnetic field within the waveband 30 to 5000 km. A magnetic feature of several thousand kilometres wavelength dominates the map, and is probably due in major part to sources in the earth's core. Superimposed on this are several groups of anomalies which contain wavelengths of the order of a thousand kilometres. The patterns of the short wavelength anomalies provide a broad view of major structures and indicate several regimes of distinctive evolutionary development. Enhancement of viscous magnetization at elevated temperatures may account for the concentration of intense anomalies observed near the western edge of the craton.

Download Full-text

Drivers of (non-)linear Eocene surface warming in the DeepMIP ensemble

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-14127 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sebastian Steinig ◽

Jiang Zhu ◽

Ran Feng ◽

Keyword(s):

Temperature Gradient ◽

Heat Transport ◽

Climate Sensitivity ◽

Radiative Forcing ◽

Large Scale ◽

Surface Albedo ◽

Early Eocene ◽

Meridional Heat Transport ◽

Surface Warming ◽

Global Mean

The early Eocene greenhouse represents the warmest interval of the Cenozoic and therefore provides a unique opportunity to understand how the climate system operates under elevated atmospheric CO2 levels similar to those projected for the end of the 21st century. Early Eocene geological records indicate a large increase in global mean surface temperatures compared to present day (by ~14&#176;C) and a greatly reduced meridional temperature gradient (by ~30% in SST). However, reproducing these large-scale climate features at reasonable CO2 levels still poses a challenge for current climate models. Recent modelling studies indicate an important role for shortwave (SW) cloud feedbacks to drive increases in climate sensitivity with global warming, which helps to close the gap between simulated and reconstructed Eocene global warmth and temperature gradient. Nevertheless, the presence of such state-dependent feedbacks and their relative strengths in other models remain unclear.In this study, we perform a systematic investigation of the simulated surface warming and the underlying mechanisms in the recently published DeepMIP ensemble. The DeepMIP early Eocene simulations use identical paleogeographic boundary conditions and include six models with suitable output: CESM1.2_CAM5, GFDL_CM2.1, HadCM3B_M2.1aN, IPSLCM5A2, MIROC4m and NorESM1_F. We advance previous energy balance analysis by applying the approximate partial radiative perturbation (APRP) technique to quantify the individual contributions of surface albedo, cloud and non-cloud atmospheric changes to the simulated Eocene top-of-the-atmosphere SW flux anomalies. We further compare the strength of these planetary albedo feedbacks to changes in the longwave atmospheric emissivity and meridional heat transport in the warm Eocene climate. Particular focus lies in the sensitivity of the feedback strengths to increasing global mean temperatures in experiments at a range of atmospheric CO2 concentrations between x1 to x9 preindustrial levels.Preliminary results indicate that all models that provide data for at least 3 different CO2 levels show an increase of the equilibrium climate sensitivity at higher global mean temperatures. This is associated with an increase of the overall strength of the positive SW cloud feedback with warming in those models. This nonlinear behavior seems to be related to both a reduction and optical thinning of low-level clouds, albeit with intermodel differences in the relative importance of the two mechanisms. We further show that our new APRP results can differ significantly from previous estimates based on cloud radiative forcing alone, especially in high-latitude areas with large surface albedo changes. We also find large intermodel variability and state-dependence in meridional heat transport modulated by changes in the atmospheric latent heat transport. Ongoing work focuses on the spatial patterns of the climate feedbacks and the implications for the simulated meridional temperature gradients.

Download Full-text

Numerical Studies of Novel Aero Engine Secondary Combustors for Low-NOx Emissions

Volume 4B: Combustion, Fuels, and Emissions ◽

10.1115/gt2020-16081 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Rolt ◽

Victor Martínez Bueno ◽

Mirko Romanelli ◽

Xiaoxiao Sun ◽

Pierre Gauthier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Efficiency ◽

Pressure Ratio ◽

Flow Region ◽

Nox Emissions ◽

Low Oxygen ◽

Engine Operation ◽

Horizon 2020 ◽

Novel Technologies ◽

Numerical Studies ◽

Aero Engine

Abstract Gas turbine thermal efficiency and fuel burn are very dependent on turbine entry temperature and overall pressure ratio (OPR). Unfortunately, increases in these two parameters compromise other key aspects of engine operation and tend to increase emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). The European Horizon 2020 ULTIMATE project researched advanced-cycle aero engines with synergistic combinations of novel technologies to increase thermal efficiency without increasing emissions. One candidate technology was the addition of secondary combustion to increase the mean temperature of heat addition to improve thermal efficiency while limiting the primary combustor flame temperatures and NOx formation. However, an overall reduction in NOx also requires the secondary combustor to be a low-NOx design. This paper describes numerical studies carried out on novel aero engine secondary combustor concepts developed in two MSc-thesis research projects. The studies have explored the potential of oxy-poor-flame combustion concepts. These annular combustor designs featured two distinct regions: (i) the vortex zone, which promotes recirculation of combustion products, a prerequisite for low-oxygen combustion, and (ii) a through-flow region where part of the incoming flow bypasses the vortex before the flows mix again. These studies have demonstrated the advantages and some limitations of the proposed designs and emissions assessments in comparison with previous secondary combustor studies. They suggest very low NOx is achievable with oxy-poor combustion, but will be more difficult if the incoming oxygen levels are above 10%. More-accurate assessments will require LES modelling and inclusion of the primary combustor in the simulations. However, if the low overall NOx emissions would include relatively higher levels of nitrous oxide (N2O) then this might raise concerns with respect to global warming.

Download Full-text

Simulation study of the plasma-brake effect

Annales Geophysicae ◽

10.5194/angeo-32-1207-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 32 (10) ◽

pp. 1207-1216 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

P. Janhunen

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

High Performance ◽

Ionospheric Plasma ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Earth Orbit ◽

Breaking Force ◽

Field Orientation ◽

Particle In Cell ◽

Leo Satellite ◽

The Magnetic Field

Abstract. Plasma brake is a thin, negatively biased tether that has been proposed as an efficient concept for deorbiting satellites and debris objects from low Earth orbit. We simulate the interaction with the ionospheric plasma ram flow with the plasma-brake tether by a high-performance electrostatic particle in cell code to evaluate the thrust. The tether is assumed to be perpendicular to the flow. We perform runs for different tether voltage, magnetic-field orientation and plasma-ion mass. We show that a simple analytical thrust formula reproduces most of the simulation results well. The interaction with the tether and the plasma flow is laminar (i.e. smooth and not turbulent) when the magnetic field is perpendicular to the tether and the flow. If the magnetic field is parallel to the tether, the behaviour is unstable and thrust is reduced by a modest factor. The case in which the magnetic field is aligned with the flow can also be unstable, but does not result in notable thrust reduction. We also correct an error in an earlier reference. According to the simulations, the predicted thrust of the plasma brake is large enough to make the method promising for low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite deorbiting. As a numerical example, we estimate that a 5 km long plasma-brake tether weighing 0.055 kg could produce 0.43 mN breaking force, which is enough to reduce the orbital altitude of a 260 kg object mass by 100 km over 1 year.

Download Full-text