Dynamical effects of the parker instability in the interstellar medium

Shantanu Basu; Telemachos Ch Mouschovias; Efthimios V. Paleologou

doi:10.1086/310620

Dynamical effects of the parker instability in the interstellar medium

Shantanu Basu, Telemachos Ch Mouschovias, Efthimios V. Paleologou

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We follow numerically the nonlinear evolution of the Parker instability in the interstellar medium in two spatial dimensions. The response of an initially unstable equilibrium state to small, random velocity perturbations is investigated. The horizontal wavelength with maximum growth rate in the linear theory grows preferentially and dominates the nonlinear evolution of the system during timescales of interest in the interstellar medium. The nonlinear evolution of the system also favors modes whose symmetry allows motions that cross the galactic plane. In a separate calculation, we investigate the dominant mode in more detail and discuss the effect of the nonlinear evolution on the structure of the interstellar medium.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L55-L58
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	480
Issue number	1 PART II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/310620
State	Published - 1997

Keywords

ISM: clouds
ISM: magnetic fields
ISM: structure
Instabilities
MHD

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Online availability

10.1086/310620

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title = "Dynamical effects of the parker instability in the interstellar medium",

abstract = "We follow numerically the nonlinear evolution of the Parker instability in the interstellar medium in two spatial dimensions. The response of an initially unstable equilibrium state to small, random velocity perturbations is investigated. The horizontal wavelength with maximum growth rate in the linear theory grows preferentially and dominates the nonlinear evolution of the system during timescales of interest in the interstellar medium. The nonlinear evolution of the system also favors modes whose symmetry allows motions that cross the galactic plane. In a separate calculation, we investigate the dominant mode in more detail and discuss the effect of the nonlinear evolution on the structure of the interstellar medium.",

keywords = "ISM: clouds, ISM: magnetic fields, ISM: structure, Instabilities, MHD",

author = "Shantanu Basu and Mouschovias, {Telemachos Ch} and Paleologou, {Efthimios V.}",

note = "Funding Information: All computations were performed at the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center. While at CITA, S. B.{\textquoteright}s work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grant AST 93-20250 to the University of Illinois.",

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AU - Mouschovias, Telemachos Ch

AU - Paleologou, Efthimios V.

N1 - Funding Information: All computations were performed at the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center. While at CITA, S. B.’s work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grant AST 93-20250 to the University of Illinois.

PY - 1997

Y1 - 1997

N2 - We follow numerically the nonlinear evolution of the Parker instability in the interstellar medium in two spatial dimensions. The response of an initially unstable equilibrium state to small, random velocity perturbations is investigated. The horizontal wavelength with maximum growth rate in the linear theory grows preferentially and dominates the nonlinear evolution of the system during timescales of interest in the interstellar medium. The nonlinear evolution of the system also favors modes whose symmetry allows motions that cross the galactic plane. In a separate calculation, we investigate the dominant mode in more detail and discuss the effect of the nonlinear evolution on the structure of the interstellar medium.

AB - We follow numerically the nonlinear evolution of the Parker instability in the interstellar medium in two spatial dimensions. The response of an initially unstable equilibrium state to small, random velocity perturbations is investigated. The horizontal wavelength with maximum growth rate in the linear theory grows preferentially and dominates the nonlinear evolution of the system during timescales of interest in the interstellar medium. The nonlinear evolution of the system also favors modes whose symmetry allows motions that cross the galactic plane. In a separate calculation, we investigate the dominant mode in more detail and discuss the effect of the nonlinear evolution on the structure of the interstellar medium.

KW - ISM: clouds

KW - ISM: magnetic fields

KW - ISM: structure

KW - Instabilities

KW - MHD

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Dynamical effects of the parker instability in the interstellar medium

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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