The effect of wind on magnetized advection dominated accretion flows

We study the effects of winds on advection dominated accretion flows in the presence of a global magnetic field under a self-similar treatment. The disk gas is assumed to be isothermal. For a steady state structure of such accretion flows a set of self similar solutions are presented. We consider the wind in a general magnetic field with three components (r,φ,z) in advection-dominated accretion flows. The mass-accretion rate $\dot{M}$ decreases with radius r as $\dot{M}\propto r^{s+1/2}$ , where s is an arbitrary constant. We will see, by increasing the wind parameter s, radial and rotational velocities increase.     

MHD simulations of jets from accretion disks

We present the MHD simulation including accretion flows in disks, acceleration of outflows from disks, and collimation of the outflows self-consistently. Although it was considered that this kind of simulations only shows the transient phenomena of jets, we found that the outflow and accretion flow reached a quasi-steady state by performing a long-term calculation in a large calculation region. Though the final stage is not exactly the steady state, the acceleration and collimation mechanisms of the outflow were the same as those of the steady theory. The scale of the calculation is approaching to the scale that was observed by the VLBI technique, which provides the current highest resolution for YSO jets.     

Periodic boundary layer of a hot two-component plasma

The oscillatory boundary layer past a porous flat plate for a two-component plasma is studied for the case of large suction. Perturbation series expansion solution is developed for the problem and the various approximate solutions are integrated in closed form. It is possible to obtain higher approximate solutions where steady state streaming solutions appear. These steady-state streaming solutions have generated a lot of mathematical and physiological interest in recent times.     

The motion of wind-driven shells

We present a method for solving problems in which a stellar wind interacts with the surrounding environment through the production of a 'double radiative shock' structure. This condition is generally met in problems involving winds ejected from young stars. We describe a method that can be applied to problems of winds with arbitrary time and angular dependence, interacting with a stationary environment with an arbitrary density distribution. We apply the method to the interaction of: a steady wind (with an instantaneous 'turning-on') with a power-law environmental density stratification, a 'wind plus jet' ejection with a toroidal environmental density stratification, and to the interaction of an isotropic wind with a clumpy environment. These three examples illustrate the wide range of possible applications of the proposed method. We also show a comparison between some of our thin-shell solutions and three-dimensional isothermal gasdynamic simulations of the flows. These comparisons are used as an evaluation of the applicability of our thin-shell solutions to the real flows.     

Magnetized, mass-loaded, rotating accretion flows

We present a semi-analytical investigation of a simple one-dimensional, steady-state model for a mass-loaded, rotating, magnetized, hydrodynamical flow. Our approach is analogous to one used in early studies of magnetized winds. The model represents the infall towards a central point mass of the gas generated in a cluster of stars surrounding it, as is likely to occur in some active nuclei and starburst galaxies. We describe the properties of the different classes of infall solutions. We find that the flow becomes faster than the fast-mode speed, and hence decoupled from the centre, only for a limited range of parameter values, and when magnetic stresses are ineffective. Such flow is slowed as it approaches a centrifugal barrier, implying the existence of an accretion disc. When the flow does not become super-fast and the magnetic torque is insufficient, no steady solution extending inward to the centre exists. Finally, with a larger magnetic torque, solutions representing steady sub-Alfvénic flows are found, which can resemble spherical hydrodynamical infall. Such solutions, if applicable, would imply that rotation is not important and that any accretion disc formed would be of very limited size.     

Solutions to bi-Maxwellian transport equations for SAR-arc conditions

We have compared solutions obtained from the bi-Maxwellian based 16-moment transport equations with those obtained from the Maxwellian based 13-moment transport equations for conditions leading to the steady state, subsonic flow of a fully-ionized electron-proton plasma along geomagnetic field lines in the vicinity of the plasmapause. The bi-Maxwellian based equations can account for large temperature anisotropies and the flow of both parallel and perpendicular thermal energy, while the Maxwellian based equations account for small temperature anisotropies and only the total heat flow. Our comparison indicates that for Stable Auroral Red arc (SAR-arc) conditions leading to strong field-aligned heat flows (temperatures of 8000 K and temperature gradients of4K. km⁻¹ at 1500 km), the bi-Maxwellian based equations predict a different thermal structure in the topside ionosphere than the less rigorous Maxwellian based equations. In particular, the bi-Maxwellian based equations predict proton and electron temperature anisotropies with T > T, while the Maxwellian based equations predict the opposite behavior for the same boundary conditions. This difference is related to the way in which the temperature anisotropies and heat flows are treated in the two formulations. For the bi-Maxwellian based equations, the inclusion of separate heat flows for parallel and perpendicular thermal energy allows for the development of a pronounced tail in both the electron and proton distribution functions, which leads to temperature anisotropies with T > T. For the Maxwellian based equations, on the other hand, the tail development is restricted because only the total heat flow is considered. Consequently, as the heat flows down, the presence of an increasing magnetic field acts to produce an anisotropy with T > T, and this process dominates tail formation for the Maxwellian based equations.     

Steady-state magnetic field in the magnetosheath

A numerical method is presented for finding the magnetic field in the transition region between the bow shock and the effective obstacle in steady state three dimensional solar wind flow around a planet. On assuming that the Alfven-Maeh number is very large there is decoupling into a gasdynamic problem and an electromagnetic problem. After solving the gasdynamic problem in the axisymmetric formulation, the equations for the magnetic field are also solved numerically. A comparison with earlier solutions is made. The results are discussed from the point of view of their possible use in the interpretation of satellite data.     

Magnetoacoustic Waves and the Kelvin–Helmholtz Instability in a Steady Asymmetric Slab

Recent observations have shown that bulk flow motions in structured solar plasmas, most evidently in coronal mass ejections (CMEs), may lead to the formation of Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs). Analytical models are thus essential in understanding both how the flows affect the propagation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves, and what the critical flow speed is for the formation of the KHI. We investigate both these aspects in a novel way: in a steady magnetic slab embedded in an asymmetric environment. The exterior of the slab is defined as having different equilibrium values of the background density, pressure, and temperature on either side. A steady flow and constant magnetic field are present in the slab interior. Approximate solutions to the dispersion relation are obtained analytically and classified with respect to mode and speed. General solutions and the KHI thresholds are obtained numerically. It is shown that, generally, both the KHI critical value and the cut-off speeds for magnetoacoustic waves are lowered by the external asymmetry.     

Linear and non-linear MHD wave propagation in steady-state magnetic cylinders

The propagation of linear and non-linear magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves in a straight homogeneous cylindrical magnetic flux tube embedded in a homogeneous magnetic environment is investigated. Both the tube and its environment are in steady state. Steady flows break the symmetry of forward (field-aligned) and backward (anti-parallel to magnetic field) propagating MHD wave modes because of the induced Doppler shifts. It is shown that strong enough flows change the sense of propagation of MHD waves. The flow also induces shifts in cut-off values and phase-speeds of the waves. Under photospheric conditions, if the flow is strong enough, the slow surface modes may disappear and the fast body modes may become present. The crossing of modes is also observed due to the presence of flows. The effect of steady-state background has to be considered particularly carefully when evaluating observation signatures of MHD waves for diagnostics in the solar atmosphere.     

Dynamics of Mass-Loaded Wind

The structure of a steady state, spherically symmetric flow with a distributed mass source and sink is examined in this paper: the source corresponds to the arrival of mass from vaporizing clouds and the sink, to the possible condensation of gas owing to a thermal instability. Depending on the efficiency of the mass source, three types of flow can exist: (a) supersonic or subsonic flows everywhere, and flows with (b) one or (c) two critical (sonic) points. Condensation of the gas shifts the critical point (if it exists) outward. External gravitation does not change the flow structure qualitatively, unlike in the case of flows without mass sources and sinks.__________Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 315–329 (May 2005).     

Transient response of the solar wind to changes in flow geometry

The transient response of the solar wind to changes in geometry is examined. An initial stationary flow in a configuration that diverges as r ² is assumed. This state corresponds to the usual solar wind solution. The effect on the flow through a tube whose area A(r, t) diverges faster than r ², with the degree of divergence increasing in time, is considered. The asymptotic form of A(r, t) is chosen to mimic the form inferred in coronal holes. A detailed parameter study relating the form of A(r, t) to the pattern of flow in the tube is presented. It is observed that in the limit of large time (large compared to , the time constant for change in geometry of a flow tube) the solutions obtained from a time-dependent analysis can depend upon . For sufficiently large , the asymptotic solution is the same as the steady state solution obeying the correct boundary conditions and possessing a smooth sonic transition. However, if the geometry changes rapidly enough, solutions exhibiting shock-like discontinuities can also exist. This is essentially a new feature that emerges from the present investigation. Finally, it is suggested that this study may be useful in describing flows in evolving coronal holes.     

A composite stellar model of geostrophic flows I

This paper has been presented the geometric study and solutions of the electromagnetogeostrophic flows, and spatially the geometry of magnetic and current lines are discussed.     

Summary of solutions to the spherically symmetric accretion and stellar wind problems

The stellar wind and accretion problems described by the steady, spherically symmetric continuum equations incorporating thermal conduction and viscosity are studied. A summary of solutions, including some new solutions, is presented and the solution properties are briefly examined.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Numerical solutions for time-dependent hydrodynamic flow with mass loading

The flow of a magnetized collisionless plasma can to a large extent be treated in terms of hydrodynamics. If in addition to the plasma neutral particles are present which are added to the flow by some ionization process, a “mass loading” of the plasma takes place. In this letter we investigate with the aid of an appropriate numerical code the time-dependent solutions of this problem in a one-dimensional geometry. Extensive computer experiments reveal that, depending on the initial conditions, there exists a variety of qualitatively different solutions. Only in certain cases the solutions approach a steady state.     

Dimensionless measures of turbulent magnetohydrodynamic dissipation rates

The magnetic Reynolds number, R _M, is defined as the product of a characteristic scale and associated flow speed divided by the microphysical magnetic diffusivity. For laminar flows, R _M also approximates the ratio of advective to dissipative terms in the total magnetic energy equation, but for turbulent flows this latter ratio depends on the energy spectra and approaches unity in a steady state. To generalize for flows of arbitrary spectra we define an effective magnetic dissipation number,   R _M,e  , as the ratio of the advection to microphysical dissipation terms in the total magnetic energy equation, incorporating the full spectrum of scales, arbitrary magnetic Prandtl numbers, and distinct pairs of inner and outer scales for magnetic and kinetic spectra. As expected, for a substantial parameter range   R _M,e∼ O (1) ≪ R _M  . We also distinguish   R _M,e  from     where the latter is an effective magnetic Reynolds number for the mean magnetic field equation when a turbulent diffusivity is explicitly imposed as a closure. That   R _M,e  and     approach unity even if   R _M≫ 1  highlights that, just as in hydrodynamic turbulence, energy dissipation of large-scale structures in turbulent flows via a cascade can be much faster than the dissipation of large-scale structures in laminar flows. This illustrates that the rate of energy dissipation by magnetic reconnection is much faster in turbulent flows, and much less sensitive to microphysical reconnection rates compared to laminar flows.     

The rotation rate of the upper atmosphere: A non-linear effect

In order to study the apparent ‘super-rotation’ of the Earth's upper atmosphere, we examine a non-linear solution to the continuity, momentum conservation and state equations of gasdynamics for the steady state motion of a gravitationally stratified, cylindrical, inviscid atmosphere under the influence of a steady state, local time dependent temperature distribution. The resultant flow field can be understood in terms of angular momentum conservation of air masses: heated, rising air decreases its rotation rate and cooled, falling air increases its rotation rate. The local-time average of the differential rotation rate may given rise to an apparent altitude dependent ‘super-rotation’. Comparison with observations is presented.     

The effects of thermal conduction on the ADAF with a toroidal magnetic field

The observation of the hot gas surrounding Sgr A * and a few other nearby galactic nuclei imply that electron and proton mean free paths are comparable to the gas capture radius. So, the hot accretion flows are likely to proceed under week-collision conditions. Hence, thermal conduction has been suggested as a possible mechanism by which the sufficient extra heating is provided in hot advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF) accretion discs. We consider the effects of thermal conduction in the presence of a toroidal magnetic field in an ADAF around a compact object. For a steady-state structure of such accretion flows, a set of self-similar solutions are presented. We find two types of solutions which represent high and slow accretion rate. They have different behaviours with saturated thermal conduction parameter, φ.