Magnetic Flux Concentration and Zonal Flows in Magnetorotational Instability Turbulence

Publication Year
2014

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

Accretion disks are likely threaded by external vertical magnetic flux, which enhances the level of turbulence via the magnetorotational instability (MRI). Using shearing-box simulations, we find that such external magnetic flux also strongly enhances the amplitude of banded radial density variations known as zonal flows. Moreover, we report that vertical magnetic flux is strongly concentrated toward low-density regions of the zonal flow. Mean vertical magnetic field can be more than doubled in low-density regions, and reduced to...

Journal
Astrophys. J.
Issue
ePrint
Date Published
09/2014