Observation of nonaxisymmetric standard magnetorotational instability induced by a free-shear layer

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: Wang, Yin, Ebrahimi, Fatima, Lu, Hongke, Goodman, Jeremy, Gilson, Erik P., Ji, Hantao
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866916467377700864
author Wang, Yin
Ebrahimi, Fatima
Lu, Hongke
Goodman, Jeremy
Gilson, Erik P.
Ji, Hantao
author_facet Wang, Yin
Ebrahimi, Fatima
Lu, Hongke
Goodman, Jeremy
Gilson, Erik P.
Ji, Hantao
contents The standard magnetorotational instability (SMRI) is widely believed to be responsible for the observed accretion rates in astronomical disks. It is a linear instability triggered in the differentially rotating ionized disk flow by a magnetic field component parallel to the rotation axis. Most studies focus on axisymmetric SMRI in conventional base flows with a Keplerian profile for accretion disks or an ideal Couette profile for Taylor-Couette flows, since excitation of nonaxisymmetric SMRI in such flows requires a magnetic Reynolds number Rm more than an order of magnitude larger. Here, we report that in a magnetized Taylor-Couette flow, nonaxisymmetric SMRI can be destabilized in a free-shear layer in the base flow at Rm $\gtrsim$ 1, the same threshold as for axisymmetric SMRI. Global linear analysis reveals that the free-shear layer reduces the required Rm, possibly by introducing an extremum in the vorticity of the base flow. Nonlinear simulations validate the results from linear analysis and confirm that a novel instability recently discovered experimentally (Nat. Commun. 13, 4679 (2022)) is the nonaxisymmetric SMRI. Our finding has astronomical implications since free-shear layers are ubiquitous in celestial systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_02361
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Observation of nonaxisymmetric standard magnetorotational instability induced by a free-shear layer
Wang, Yin
Ebrahimi, Fatima
Lu, Hongke
Goodman, Jeremy
Gilson, Erik P.
Ji, Hantao
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Plasma Physics
The standard magnetorotational instability (SMRI) is widely believed to be responsible for the observed accretion rates in astronomical disks. It is a linear instability triggered in the differentially rotating ionized disk flow by a magnetic field component parallel to the rotation axis. Most studies focus on axisymmetric SMRI in conventional base flows with a Keplerian profile for accretion disks or an ideal Couette profile for Taylor-Couette flows, since excitation of nonaxisymmetric SMRI in such flows requires a magnetic Reynolds number Rm more than an order of magnitude larger. Here, we report that in a magnetized Taylor-Couette flow, nonaxisymmetric SMRI can be destabilized in a free-shear layer in the base flow at Rm $\gtrsim$ 1, the same threshold as for axisymmetric SMRI. Global linear analysis reveals that the free-shear layer reduces the required Rm, possibly by introducing an extremum in the vorticity of the base flow. Nonlinear simulations validate the results from linear analysis and confirm that a novel instability recently discovered experimentally (Nat. Commun. 13, 4679 (2022)) is the nonaxisymmetric SMRI. Our finding has astronomical implications since free-shear layers are ubiquitous in celestial systems.
title Observation of nonaxisymmetric standard magnetorotational instability induced by a free-shear layer
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.02361