The influence of the environment on the propagation of protostellar outflows |
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Authors: | Anthony Moraghan Michael D. Smith Alexander Rosen |
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Affiliation: | Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh BT61 9DG;Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 31 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, Ireland;Physics Department, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland;Centre for Astrophysics &Planetary Science, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NH;Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn, Germany |
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Abstract: | The properties of bipolar outflows depend on the structure in the environment as well as the nature of the jet. To help distinguish between the two, we investigate here the properties pertaining to the ambient medium. We execute axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations, injecting continuous atomic jets into molecular media with density gradients (protostellar cores) and density discontinuities (thick swept-up sheets). We determine the distribution of outflowing mass with radial velocity (the mass spectrum) to quantify our approach and to compare to observationally determined values. We uncover a sequence from clump entrainment in the flanks to bow shock sweeping as the density profile steepens. We also find that the dense, highly supersonic outflows remain collimated but can become turbulent after passing through a shell. The mass spectra vary substantially in time, especially at radial speeds exceeding 15 km s−1. The mass spectra also vary according to the conditions: both envelope-type density distributions and the passage through dense sheets generate considerably steeper mass spectra than a uniform medium. The simulations suggest that observed outflows penetrate highly non-uniform media. |
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Keywords: | hydrodynamics stars: formation ISM: jets and outflows |
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