Recollimation shocks and nonlinear dynamics in relativistic AGN jets

14 Sept 2026, 17:10
20m
Auditorium Telescopium (ESO)

Auditorium Telescopium

ESO

Speaker

Stella Boula (INAF-OAB)

Description

Relativistic jets from Active Galactic Nuclei are quintessential multi-messenger engines, yet a persistent challenge remains in connecting their macroscopic evolution to the localized kinetic scales responsible for high-energy emission. This work presents high-resolution 2D and 3D relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) simulations using the PLUTO code to bridge this gap. We investigate the propagation of jets through stratified environments, focusing on how external pressure gradients and confinement drive the formation of complex recollimation shocks and turbulent flow patterns. Our results reveal that the non-linear development of these structures creates robust, time-variable sites of enhanced energy dissipation. By identifying these dissipation zones, we provide a physically motivated framework for interpreting the high-energy variability and evolving polarization signatures observed in blazars and radio galaxies. These simulations provide a theoretical link that translates global fluid dynamics into the discrete emission features observed.

Author

Stella Boula (INAF-OAB)

Co-author

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