Convective Instability of a Relativistic Ejecta Decelerated by a Surrounding Medium: An Origin of Magnetic Fields in Gamma-Ray Bursts?

• Published in: Astrophysical journal. Letters Vol. 705; no. 2; pp. L213 - L216
• Main Author: Levinson, Amir
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IOP Publishing 10.11.2009
• Subjects: AFTERGLOW; CAUSALITY; CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS; COSMIC RADIATION; ENERGY RANGE; FLUID MECHANICS; HYDRODYNAMICS; INSTABILITY; IONIZING RADIATIONS; MAGNETIC FIELDS; MECHANICS; NONLINEAR PROBLEMS; OSCILLATIONS; PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION; RADIATIONS; RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY; RELATIVISTIC RANGE; TURBULENCE

Global linear stability analysis of a self-similar solution describing a relativistic shell decelerated by an ambient medium is performed. The system is shown to be subject to the convective Rayleigh-Taylor instability, with a rapid growth of eigenmodes having angular scale much smaller than the cau...