Fluid Instabilities in the Crab Nebula Jet: Results from Numerical Simulations

We present an overview of high-resolution relativistic MHD numerical simulations of the Crab Nebula South-East jet. The models are based on hot and relativistic hollow outflows initially carrying a purely toroidal magnetic field. Our results indicate that weakly relativistic (gamma similar to 2) and strongly magnetized jets are prone to kink instabilities leading to a noticeable deflection of the jet. These conclusions are in good agreement with the recent X-ray (Chandra) data of Crab Nebula South-East jet indicating a change in the direction of propagation on a time scale of the order of few years.