Speaker
Description
Over the past decade, major advances in both observations and numerical simulations have transformed our understanding of relativistic jets in astrophysical systems. In this talk I will review the recent progress in jet physics, focusing on the launching process, jet propagation and energy dissipation. I will discuss the role of magnetic fields in the jet evolution from field amplification and ordering near the central engine to the development of current-driven instabilities leading to turbulence that can dissipate magnetic energy. I will compare this to magnetic dissipation via large scale current sheets in striped jets. Last, I will briefly discuss the implications of these processes for the production of the observed high-energy emission.