Force-free wave interaction in magnetar magnetospheres: Computational modeling in axisymmetry
Magnetars, highly magnetized neutron stars, can have crustal quakes that disrupt their magnetic fields, causing X-ray and fast radio bursts (FRBs). This study uses simulations to model plasma waves in…
Keep reading
How ultra-magnetized Kelvin-Helmholtz drag impacts precursor emission in neutron star binaries
When binary neutron stars merge, they produce remarkable signals that help astrophysics understand their composition and magnetized environments. The strong magnetic fields of neutron stars orbiting each other interact vividly.…
Keep reading
Safety first: Stability and dissipation of line-tied force-free flux tubes in magnetized coronae
Columns and other structures of twisted magnetic field lines with footpoints anchored to a surface at both ends exist in several astrophysical scenarios. Current loops shining in X-rays during the…
Keep reading
Should junior scientists fall for peer-citation-cartels?
Citation cartels formed by journals are a well-known thread to scientific publishing. But this text is not about journals pushing authors to cite certain other journals to hack the journal…
Keep reading
Kinking flux tubes and global eruptions: The 3D dynamics of strongly twisted magnetar magnetospheres
The origin of the various outbursts of hard X-rays from magnetars, highly magnetized neutron stars,is still unknown. They range from frequent and faint events to the most energetic Giant Flares,…
Keep reading
Electromagnetic fireworks in the striped magnetar wind
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond blasts of GHz frequency with a complex spectral imprint of their cosmic origin. They are commonly observed from highly magnetized neutron stars, so-called magnetars.…
Keep reading
Current sheets in Alfvén wave interactions
Alfvén waves travel along magnetic fields in a plasma as variations in the electromagnetic fields and currents. Their interaction produces a plasma fluctuation that starts reacting with the primary waves.…
Keep readingBlack hole variability by magnetic loop accretion
Magnetic field lines entering the event horizon of a rapidly spinning black hole can slow down its rotation, effectively acting like rubber bands that are dragged along with it. This…
Keep readingBlack holes in computers – modeling astrophysics
Modeling physics in computers requires discretizing continuous quantities in space. Approximations are key to simplify the abundance of dimensions in systems with millions of particles, waves, and their interactions across…
Keep reading
Jens Mahlmann 