2015ApJ...800...41H

In this paper, we explore the dynamics of radiative axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) jets at high resolution using adaptive mesh refinement methods. The goal of the study is to determine both the dynamics and emission properties of such jets. To that end, we have implemented microphysics enabling us to produce synthetic maps of Hα and [S II]. The jets are pulsed either sinusoidally or randomly via a time-dependent ejection velocity which leads to a complicated structure of internal shocks and rarefactions as has been seen in previous simulations. The high resolution of our simulations allows us to explore in great detail the effect of pinch forces (due to the jet's toroidal magnetic field) within the "working surfaces" where pulses interact. We map the strong Hα emission marking shock fronts and the strong [S II] emission inside cooling regions behind shocks as observed with high-resolution images of jets. We find that pinch forces in the stronger field cases produce additional emission regions along the axis as compared with purely hydrodynamic runs. These simulations are a first step to understanding the full three-dimensional emission properties of radiative MHD jets.