Launching of Poynting Jets from Accretion Disks

TL;DR

This paper explores the theoretical and simulation-based mechanisms behind relativistic Poynting jets originating from magnetized accretion disks, emphasizing electromagnetic energy transfer in jet formation.

Contribution

It presents recent theoretical models and fully-electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations of relativistic Poynting jets from accretion disks, advancing understanding of jet launching processes.

Findings

Relativistic Poynting jets can form from magnetized accretion disks.

Electromagnetic fields predominantly carry energy and angular momentum in these jets.

Simulations support the theoretical models of electromagnetic jet formation.

Abstract

The jets observed to emanate from many compact accreting objects may arise from the twisting of the magnetic field threading a differentially rotating accretion disk which acts to magnetically extract angular momentum and energy from the disk. Two main regimes have been discussed, hydromagnetic outflows, which have a significant mass flux and have energy and angular momentum carried by both matter and electromagnetic field and, Poynting outflows, where the mass flux is negligible and energy and angular momentum are carried predominantly by the electromagnetic field. We describe recent theoretical work on the formation of relativistic Poynting jets from magnetized accretion disks and new relativistic, fully-electromagnetic, particle-in-cell simulations of the formation of jets from accretion disks.