Radio Galaxies

Radiation Transfer, Dynamics, Stability and Evolution of a Synchrotron Plasmon

1st Edition - January 1, 1977
Author: A. G. Pacholczyk
Editor: D. ter Haar
Language: English
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 1 - 4 8 3 1 - 8 7 9 7 - 6

Radio Galaxies: Radiation Transfer, Dynamics, Stability and Evolution of a Synchrotron Plasmon deals with the physics of a region in space containing magnetic field and thermal and… Read more

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Radio Galaxies: Radiation Transfer, Dynamics, Stability and Evolution of a Synchrotron Plasmon deals with the physics of a region in space containing magnetic field and thermal and relativistic particles (a plasmon). The synchrotron emission and absorption of this region are discussed, along with the properties of its spectrum; its linear and circular polarization; transfer of radiation through such a region; its dynamics and expansion; and interaction with external medium. Comprised of eight chapters, this volume explores the stability, turbulence, and acceleration of particles in a synchrotron plasmon as well as its application to the physics of radio galaxies. The discussion begins with a description of extragalactic radio sources and their properties, followed by an analysis of the emission and absorption of synchrotron radiation. Subsequent chapters focus on the transfer of polarized radiation in a magnetoactive plasma; hydromagnetics and hydromagnetic stability; confinement and structure of extended radio sources; and radio-tail galaxies. The book also considers compact radio sources before concluding with an evaluation of radio source theories. This monograph is addressed primarily to radio astronomers and graduate students working on the interpretation of observational data.

Preface

Acknowledgements

1. Observational Data and Relationships

1.1 Introduction

1.2 The Simple Sources

1.3 The Complex Sources

1.4 Radio-Tail Galaxies

1.5 The Compact Sources

Bibliographical Notes

2. Incoherent Synchrotron Spectra

2.1 Emission and Absorption Coefficients in All Stokes Parameters

2.2 Plasma Emission Effects

2.3 Synchrotron Spectra of Uniform Sources - a Recapitulation

2.4 Synchrotron Spectra of Nonuniform Sources

2.5 Emission and Absorption Coefficients in a Nonuniform Field

Bibliographical Notes

3. Transfer of Polarized Radiation in a Magnetoactive Plasma

3.1 The Complex Permittivity of a Plasma

3.2 The Equation of Transfer and the Propagation Modes

3.3 The Equation of Transfer and the Dielectric Tensor

3.4 General Properties of the Equation of Transfer

3.5 Polarization of a Synchrotron Source

3.6 Faraday Rotation and Depolarization

3.7 Faraday Pulsation

3.8 Circular Repolarization

3.9 The General Solution of the Equations of Transfer

Bibliographical Notes

4. Hydromagnetics and Hydromagnetic Stability

4.1 Hydromagnetic Approximation

4.2 The System of Hydromagnetic Equations

4.3 Properties of the Equations of Hydromagnetics

4.4 Hydromagnetics of Incompressible Fluids

4.5 Hydromagnetics of Compressible Fluids. Magnetosonic Waves

4.6 Hydromagnetic Bubble and Double Radio Sources

4.7 The Energy Integral and the Virial Theorem

4.8 Hydromagnetic Stability

4.9 The Rayleigh-Taylor Instability

4.10 The Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability

4.11 The Jeans Instability

Bibliographical Notes

5. Confinement and Structure of Extended Radio Sources

5.1 Confinement of the Components of Extended Radio Sources

5.2 Confinement by Ram Pressure of the Ambient Gas

5.3 Dynamics of an Expanding Plasmon

5.4 Nonequilibrium Models of Ram Pressure Confined Plasmons

5.5 Radio Emission of a Plasmon

5.6 Multiple Ejections of Plasmons

5.7 Stability of Ejected Plasmons

Bibliographical Notes

6. Radio-Tail Galaxies

6.1 Introduction

6.2 The Kinematics of the Plasmon

6.3 The Development of Turbulence and the Acceleration of Particles

6.4 The Expansion of the Plasmon

6.5 The Spectrum of the Expanding Plasmon

6.6 Physical Conditions in a Radio-Tail Galaxy

Bibliographical Notes

7. Compact Radio Sources

7.1 Introduction

7.2 The Canonical Model of a Compact Radio Source

7.3 Flux Variations in an Expanding Plasmon

7.4 Super-Relativistic Effects

Bibliographical Notes

8. Radio Source Theories

8.1 Introduction

8.2 The Plasmon Picture of a Radio Galaxy

8.3 A Massive Object Picture of a Radio Galaxy

8.4 The Beam Picture of a Radio Galaxy

Bibliographical Notes

Appendices: Tables of Special Functions

Author Index

Subject Index