Current Systems in Radio Jets

Abstract

The structure of the magnetic field in radio jets is a topic of recent interest, especially due to the possibility that some high pressure jets are confined by a magnetic pinch. Several such jets have been found which cannot be confined by external cluster gas pressure, on which there are observational limits; nor can they be in free expansion, since they do not show evidence of adiabatic expansion losses. Recent radio interferometer observations of surface brightness and polarization allow the possibility of determining the magnetic field structure. In this paper I present some basic considerations of the current and field structure required if the observed jets are to be magnetically confined.