Relativistic Magnetic Explosions

Abstract

Abstract Many explosive astrophysical events, like magnetars’ bursts and flares, are magnetically driven. We consider dynamics of such magnetic explosions—relativistic expansion of highly magnetized and highly magnetically overpressurized clouds. The corresponding dynamics are qualitatively different from fluid explosions due to the topological constraint of the conservation of the magnetic flux. Using analytical, relativistic MHD as well as force-free calculations, we find that the creation of a relativistically expanding, causally disconnected flow obeys a threshold condition: it requires sufficiently high initial overpressure and a sufficiently quick decrease of the pressure in the external medium (the preexplosion wind). In the subcritical case the magnetic cloud just “puffs up” and quietly expands with the preflare wind. We also find a compact analytical solution to Prendergast’s problem—expansion of force-free plasma into a vacuum.