Evolution of the plasma universe. I. Double radio galaxies, quasars, and extragalactic jets.

Based on three-dimensional fully electromagnetic particle simulations, the observational evidence for a plasma universe threaded by Birkeland currents or filaments is explored. The motion of plasma in local regions can lead to pinches, ultimately condensing states of matter; where double layers form in the pinches, strong electric fields can accelerate the charged particles to high energies. Scaling the simulation parameters to galactic dimensions, the interaction between pinched filaments led to synchrotron radiation whose emission properties are similar to those of double radio galaxies and quasars in: power magnitude, isophotal morphology, spectra, brightness along source, polarization, and jets.