Magnetic Routing as a Structural Constraint in Diffuse Astrophysical Media

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Autore principale: Doumbouya, Lisa
Natura: Recurso digital
Pubblicazione: Zenodo 2026
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author Doumbouya, Lisa
author_facet Doumbouya, Lisa
contents <p>Magnetic fields are widely observed in astrophysical systems, yet their role is often interpreted primarily through force-based descriptions such as magnetic pressure or Lorentz-force-driven confinement. In this work, we propose an alternative but fully compatible interpretation: <strong>magnetic routing</strong>, in which magnetic topology constrains the set of admissible trajectories available to matter and energy without supplying the dominant energetic or confining force. We examine this role across a hierarchy of environments, from diffuse neutral hydrogen clouds to accretion flows, relativistic jets, and black hole horizons. Using observational results from the Smith Cloud as an empirical anchor, we show that weak magnetic fields can strongly influence morphology, coherence, and longevity by mediating interaction geometry at interfaces, refining rather than replacing pressure confinement. Extending this framework to accretion disks and jets, we interpret collimated outflows and vortical transport as structurally selected solutions under increasing constraint. In the limiting case of black holes, the persistence of magnetic flux at the event horizon demonstrates that magnetic structure can survive even as material degrees of freedom fail, delineating the final admissible routing geometry external to the horizon. Taken together, these results support a structure-first ordering in which geometry and admissibility precede force-based dynamics. Magnetic routing provides a unifying explanation for coherence across weakly bound and highly constrained regimes without invoking new physics, additional forces, or fine-tuned initial conditions.</p> <p>Keywords: magnetic fields, interstellar medium (ISM), high-velocity clouds, Smith Cloud, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), turbulence, vortices, accretion disks, relativistic jets, black holes, galactic halos, structure-first dynamics.</p>
format Recurso digital
id zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_18385989
institution Zenodo
language
publishDate 2026
publisher Zenodo
record_format zenodo
spellingShingle Magnetic Routing as a Structural Constraint in Diffuse Astrophysical Media
Doumbouya, Lisa
magnetic routing
structural constraint
diffuse astrophysical media
megnetohydrodynamics
coherence-dominated regimes
boundary-mediated dynamics
magnetic field topology
admissible pathways
filamentary structure
nodal stability
plasma-neutral coupling
anisotropic transport
magnetic confinement
variance suppression
structural admissibility
non-force based organization
coherence corridors
phase-space-routing
interstellar medium structure
galactic magnetic fields
<p>Magnetic fields are widely observed in astrophysical systems, yet their role is often interpreted primarily through force-based descriptions such as magnetic pressure or Lorentz-force-driven confinement. In this work, we propose an alternative but fully compatible interpretation: <strong>magnetic routing</strong>, in which magnetic topology constrains the set of admissible trajectories available to matter and energy without supplying the dominant energetic or confining force. We examine this role across a hierarchy of environments, from diffuse neutral hydrogen clouds to accretion flows, relativistic jets, and black hole horizons. Using observational results from the Smith Cloud as an empirical anchor, we show that weak magnetic fields can strongly influence morphology, coherence, and longevity by mediating interaction geometry at interfaces, refining rather than replacing pressure confinement. Extending this framework to accretion disks and jets, we interpret collimated outflows and vortical transport as structurally selected solutions under increasing constraint. In the limiting case of black holes, the persistence of magnetic flux at the event horizon demonstrates that magnetic structure can survive even as material degrees of freedom fail, delineating the final admissible routing geometry external to the horizon. Taken together, these results support a structure-first ordering in which geometry and admissibility precede force-based dynamics. Magnetic routing provides a unifying explanation for coherence across weakly bound and highly constrained regimes without invoking new physics, additional forces, or fine-tuned initial conditions.</p> <p>Keywords: magnetic fields, interstellar medium (ISM), high-velocity clouds, Smith Cloud, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), turbulence, vortices, accretion disks, relativistic jets, black holes, galactic halos, structure-first dynamics.</p>
title Magnetic Routing as a Structural Constraint in Diffuse Astrophysical Media
topic magnetic routing
structural constraint
diffuse astrophysical media
megnetohydrodynamics
coherence-dominated regimes
boundary-mediated dynamics
magnetic field topology
admissible pathways
filamentary structure
nodal stability
plasma-neutral coupling
anisotropic transport
magnetic confinement
variance suppression
structural admissibility
non-force based organization
coherence corridors
phase-space-routing
interstellar medium structure
galactic magnetic fields
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18385989