|
Abstract:
I discuss the modeling of astrophyical outflows in the limit of high
magnetization of the plasma. In this limit the particle inertia is negligible
("force-free") and the relativistic MHD equations can be reduced to an
evolutionary system resembling Maxwell equations with a source term. I describe
the mathematical properties of this "force-free relativistic MHD", the methods
for its simulation based on finite-difference time-domain Maxwell solvers, and
the limits of applicability of the approximation, such as formation of current
sheets. In particular, the method is applied to simulate the formation of
relativistic winds from magnetized neutron stars (pulsars), and provides the
first time-dependent global simulation of the pulsar magnetosphere.
|
