Force-free equilibria of magnetized jets

Abstract

Force-free equilibrium configurations of magnetic-pressure-dominated magnetized supersonic jets confined by slowly varying external pressure are investigated analytically. For the case where internal dissipation mechanisms are active, the lowest-energy field configuration is found to be the superposition of an axisymmetric mode and a helical mode with a wavelength equal to 5 times the jet radius, and the pressure below which the nonaxisymmetric mode becomes energetically favorable is given as 2700 times the product of the 4th power of the magnetic helicity per unit length and the -6th power of the magnetic flux. A model of the total and polarized emission of such a configuration is developed and applied to the extended well-collimated astronomically resolved jet NGC 6251. The model is shown to reproduce significant features such as transverse oscillations of the ridge line, width oscillations and emission knots, the projected magnetic-field configuration, oscillations of the degree of polarization, and the distribution of the Faraday rotation measure.