MHD simulations of the long-term evolution of a dipolar magnetosphere surrounded by an accretion disk

Abstract

The evolution of a stellar, initially dipole type magnetosphere interacting with an accretion disk is investigated using numerical ideal MHD simulations. The simulations follow several 1000 Keplerian periods of the inner disk (for animated movies see http://www.aip.de∼cfendt).Our model prescribes a Keplerian disk around a rotating star as a fixed boundary condition. The initial magnetic field distribution remains frozen into the star and the disk. The mass flow rate into the corona is fixed for both components. The initial dipole type magnetic field develops into a spherically radial outflow pattern with two main components – a disk wind and a stellar wind – both evolving into a quasi-stationary final state. A neutral field line divides both components, along which small plasmoids are ejected in irregular time intervals. The half opening angle of the stellar wind cone varies from 30° to55° depending on the ratio of the mass flow rates of disk wind and stellar wind. The maximum speed of the outflow is about the Keplerian speed at the inner disk radius. An axial jet forms during the first decades of rotations. However, this feature does not survive on the very long time scale and a pressure driven low velocity flow along the axis evolves. Within a cone of 15° along the axis the formation of knots may be observed if the stellar wind is weak. With the chosen mass flow rates and field strength we see almost no indication for a flow self-collimation. This is due to the weak net poloidal electric current in the magnetosphere which is in difference to typical jet models.