Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yang, Shun-yi, Hu, Guang-yue, Xiong, Chao, Li, Tian-yi, Li, Xue-cheng, Tang, Hui-bo, Shao, Shuo-ting, Lv, Xiang, Zhang, Chen, Yu, Ming-yang
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.21239
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866917070234451968
author Yang, Shun-yi
Hu, Guang-yue
Xiong, Chao
Li, Tian-yi
Li, Xue-cheng
Tang, Hui-bo
Shao, Shuo-ting
Lv, Xiang
Zhang, Chen
Yu, Ming-yang
author_facet Yang, Shun-yi
Hu, Guang-yue
Xiong, Chao
Li, Tian-yi
Li, Xue-cheng
Tang, Hui-bo
Shao, Shuo-ting
Lv, Xiang
Zhang, Chen
Yu, Ming-yang
contents Astrophysical systems exhibit a rich diversity of outflow morphologies, yet their mechanisms and existence conditions remain among the most persistent puzzles in the field. Here we present scaled laboratory experiments based on laser-driven plasma outflow into magnetized ambient gas, which mimic five basic astrophysical outflows regulated by interstellar medium, namely collimated jets, blocked jets, elliptical bubbles, as well as spherical winds and bubbles. Their morphologies and existence conditions are found to be uniquely determined by the external Alfvenic and sonic Mach numbers Me-a and Me-s, i.e. the relative strengths of the outflow ram pressure against the magnetic/thermal pressures in the interstellar medium, with transitions occurring at Me-a ~ 2 and 0.5, as well as Me-s ~ 1. These results are confirmed by magnetohydrodynamics simulations and should also be verifiable from existing and future astronomical observations. Our findings provide a quantitative framework for understanding astrophysical outflows.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_21239
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Laboratory formation of scaled astrophysical outflows
Yang, Shun-yi
Hu, Guang-yue
Xiong, Chao
Li, Tian-yi
Li, Xue-cheng
Tang, Hui-bo
Shao, Shuo-ting
Lv, Xiang
Zhang, Chen
Yu, Ming-yang
Plasma Physics
Astrophysical systems exhibit a rich diversity of outflow morphologies, yet their mechanisms and existence conditions remain among the most persistent puzzles in the field. Here we present scaled laboratory experiments based on laser-driven plasma outflow into magnetized ambient gas, which mimic five basic astrophysical outflows regulated by interstellar medium, namely collimated jets, blocked jets, elliptical bubbles, as well as spherical winds and bubbles. Their morphologies and existence conditions are found to be uniquely determined by the external Alfvenic and sonic Mach numbers Me-a and Me-s, i.e. the relative strengths of the outflow ram pressure against the magnetic/thermal pressures in the interstellar medium, with transitions occurring at Me-a ~ 2 and 0.5, as well as Me-s ~ 1. These results are confirmed by magnetohydrodynamics simulations and should also be verifiable from existing and future astronomical observations. Our findings provide a quantitative framework for understanding astrophysical outflows.
title Laboratory formation of scaled astrophysical outflows
topic Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.21239