It has been known for some time that magnetic fields dominate radiative processes in synchrotron-emitting radio jets. Now it also is suspected that they dominate the dynamical processes as well. We believe that we understand the basic principles of how jets are launched and collimated by rotating magnetic fields, and even how those ordered magnetic fields are set up near the central black hole. However, there still are a number of unsolved problems. What controls the jet speed? Why do low luminosity sources appear to have slow, steady jets, while high luminosity ones have fast, explosive ones? How does the presence of dominant magnetic forces affect the stability of the jet flow? Why are jets observed to have tangled magnetic fields, if they are accelerated by well-ordered ones? Our group has begun a broad theoretical program to investigate these and other important issues in the production of radio jets. The goal is not only to understand physically the dynamical role of magnetic fields in launching and collimating jets, but also to identify key features in the observations that relate to theoretical jet flows and, ultimately, to develop observational diagnostics of the magnetized flows. I will discuss our progress so far on the above questions, our current ideas, and where we are headed in the near future.

April 27, 2007
11:00 a.m. MT

Array Operations Center Auditorium

All NRAO employees are invited to attend via video, available in Charlottesville Room 230, Green Bank Room 241 and Tucson 525.

Local Host: Vivek Dhawan