Cool regions in relativistic plasmas: thermal instabilities.
Abstract
The thermal stability of a plasma consisting of dynamically dominant relativistic electrons and a warm inertial gas is studied. Bremsstrahlung, Coulomb, synchrotron, and inverse Compton losses are considered; it is found that plasmas in which the cooling is dominated by either of the first two processes are generally unstable, while synchrotron losses may or may not cause instability and inverse Compton losses are stabilizing. Characteristic growth times and unstable scales are determined from linear analysis. Applications of this instability to quasar atmospheres and to extended radio galaxies are discussed briefly.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- October 1979
- DOI:
- 10.1086/157407
- Bibcode:
- 1979ApJ...233..463E
- Keywords:
-
- Cold Plasmas;
- Cosmic Plasma;
- Magnetohydrodynamic Stability;
- Quasars;
- Radio Galaxies;
- Relativistic Plasmas;
- Thermal Instability;
- Bremsstrahlung;
- Compton Effect;
- Energy Dissipation;
- Galactic Nuclei;
- High Energy Electrons;
- Relativity;
- Synchrotron Radiation;
- Astrophysics;
- Atmospheres:Quasars;
- Plasma:Radio Galaxies;
- Relativistic Plasma:Cooling;
- Relativistic Plasma:Stability