Young Stellar Object Jets Research Articles

The role of heating in the formation and the dynamics of YSO jets

Context. Theoretical arguments as well as observations of young stellar objects (YSOs) support the presence of a diversified circumstellar environment. A stellar jet is thought to account for most of the stellar spin down and disk wind outflow for the observed high mass-loss rate, thus playing a major role in the launching of powerful jets. RY Tau, for instance, is an extensively studied intermediate mass pre-main sequence star. Observational data reveal a small-scale jet called micro-jet. Nevertheless, it is not clear how the micro-jet shapes the jet observed at a large scale. Aims. The goal is to investigate the spatial stability and structure of the central jet at a large scale by mixing the stellar and disk components. Methods. Two existing analytical self-similar models for the disk and the stellar winds to build the initial setups. Instead of using a polytropic equation of state, we mapped the heating and cooling sources from the analytical solutions. The heating exchange rate was controlled by two parameters, its spatial extent and its intensity. Results. The central jet and the surrounding disk are strongly affected by these two parameters. We separate the results into three categories, which show different emissivity, temperature, and velocity maps. We reached this categorization by looking at the opening angle of the stellar solution. For cylindrically, well-collimated jets, we have opening angles as low as 10° between 8 − 10 au, and for the wider jets, we can reach 30° with a morphology closer to radial solar winds. Conclusions. Our parametric study shows that the less heated the outflow is, the more collimated it appears. We also show that recollimation shocks appear consistently with UV observations in terms of temperature but not density.

Particle acceleration and magnetic field amplification in massive young stellar object jets

ABSTRACT Synchrotron radio emission from non-relativistic jets powered by massive protostars has been reported, indicating the presence of relativistic electrons and magnetic fields of strength ∼0.3–5 mG. We study diffusive shock acceleration and magnetic field amplification in protostellar jets with speeds between 300 and 1500 km s−1. We show that the magnetic field in the synchrotron emitter can be amplified by the non-resonant hybrid (Bell) instability excited by the cosmic ray streaming. By combining the synchrotron data with basic theory of Bell instability we estimate the magnetic field in the synchrotron emitter and the maximum energy of protons. Protons can achieve maximum energies in the range 0.04–0.65 TeV and emit γ rays in their interaction with matter fields. We predict detectable levels of γ rays in IRAS 16547−5247 and IRAS 16848−4603. The γ ray flux can be significantly enhanced by the gas mixing due to Rayleigh–Taylor instability. The detection of this radiation by the Fermi satellite in the GeV domain and the forthcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array at higher energies may open a new window to study the formation of massive stars, as well as diffusive acceleration and magnetic field amplification in shocks with velocities of about 1000 km s−1.

Numerical study of the knot structure in scaled protostellar jets by laboratory laser-driven plasmas

Knot structures exist ubiquitously in young stellar object (YSO) jets, which are a key tracer in astronomical observation to estimate the jet properties and eventually the YSO’s parameters (age, size, mass and so on). Using 2D and 3D radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the laser-produced plasma jets in external poloidal magnetic fields, we present a systematic analysis on the formation mechanism and characteristics of knot structures in collimated jets. The simulations demonstrate that the multi-knot pattern in jets can be formed by the oblique internal shocks in only single ejection. It is found that the distance L between different knots in jet is determined by the ratio of its thermal pressure to magnetic pressure β as , where D is the jet transverse diameter. There is a factor about 0.4-0.6 between the knot and jet velocities. And radiation cooling effect can alleviate the intensity of the external magnetic field required for collimating jets. These findings are scaled to the conditions of YSO jets, and can be applied to explore some characteristics of the astrophysical jets.

Laboratory study of non-ideal effects in magnetically collimated astrophysical outflows

Central outflow’s collimation by magnetic field is an important theoretical mechanism for explaining the astrophysical objects’ morphology formation, and its credibility has been tested in many laser plasma experiments in a dimensionless manner. This article introduces integrated simulation and experiment work based on the present laboratory magnetically collimated jet framework, to explore how non-ideal terms’ strength including radiative cooling and magnetic diffusion from different targets can affect the outflow shape. The interaction between outflow from a target with low atomic number and external field satisfies the ideal magneto-hydrodynamic conditions, and the outflow shape results in diamagnetic cavity and jet; on the other hand, a heavy element target brings strong magnetic diffusion that destroys the collimation structure, together with the stagnation of outflow introduced by radiative cooling, and outflow shape results in weakly collimated hemisphere near the target and a detached magnetized density clump. The detailed dimensionless analysis shows that the large-scale dissipation of jets in young stellar objects can possibly be an analog of the laboratory jet’s magnetic diffusion breakup, also similar structures like the loosely collimated lobes and bright ansaes in planetary nebula can be observed in highly diffusive laboratory outflows. This article shows for the first time that a series of non-relativistic astronomical outflows’ dynamic behaviors can be explained by the non-ideal magneto-hydrodynamic evolution of laboratory plasmas.

Laboratory X-ray emission experiments can help explain astrophysical jet formation phenomena

Researchers simulated the X-rays formed by plasma jets in young stellar objects using radial foil z-pinch experiments.

Protostellar Outflows at the EarliesT Stages (POETS)

Context. Although recent observations and theoretical simulations have pointed out that accretion disks and jets can be essential for the formation of stars with a mass of up to at least 20 M⊙, the processes regulating mass accretion and ejection are still uncertain. Aims. The goal of the Protostellar Outflows at the EarliesT Stages (POETS) survey is to image the disk-outflow interface on scales of 10–100 au in a statistically significant sample (36) of luminous young stellar objects (YSO), targeting both the molecular and ionized components of the outflows. Methods. The outflow kinematics is studied at milliarcsecond scales through very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of the 22 GHz water masers, which are ideal test particles to measure the three-dimensional (3D) motion of shocks owing to the interaction of winds and jets with ambient gas. We employed the Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) at 6, 13, and 22 GHz in the A- and B-Array configurations to determine the spatial structure and the spectral index of the radio continuum emission, and address its nature. Results. In about half of the targets, the water masers observed at separation ≤1000 au from the YSOs trace either or both of these kinematic structures: (1) a spatially elongated distribution oriented at close angle with the direction of collimation of the maser proper motions (PM), and (2) a linear local standard of rest (LSR) velocity (VLSR) gradient across the YSO position. The kinematic structure (1) is readily interpreted in terms of a protostellar jet, as confirmed in some targets via the comparison with independent observations of the YSO jets, in thermal (continuum and line) emissions, reported in the literature. The kinematic structure (2) is interpreted in terms of a disk-wind (DW) seen almost edge-on on the basis of several pieces of evidence: first, it is invariably directed perpendicular to the YSO jet; second, it agrees in orientation and polarity with the VLSR gradient in thermal emissions (when reported in the literature) identifying the YSO disk at scales of ≤1000 au; third, the PMs of the masers delineating the VLSR gradients hint at flow motions at a speed of 10–20 km s−1 directed at large angles with the disk midplane. In the remaining targets, the maser PMs are not collimated but rather tend to align along two almost perpendicular directions. To explain this peculiar PM distribution, and in light of the observational bias strongly favoring masers moving close to the plane of sky, we propose that, in these sources, the maser emission could originate in DW-jet systems slightly inclined (≤30°) with respect to edge-on. Magneto-centrifugally driven DWs could in general account for the observed velocity patterns of water masers.

Mega-Gauss Plasma Jet Creation Using a Ring of Laser Beams

Abstract Using 20 OMEGA laser beams at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, to irradiate a flat plastic target in a hollow ring configuration, we created supersonic cylindrical stable plasma jets with self-generated megagauss magnetic fields extending out to >4 mm. These well-collimated magnetized jets possess a number of distinct and novel properties that will allow us to study the dynamics, physical processes, and scaling properties of astrophysical jets with a dynamic range exceeding those of previous laboratory settings. The dimensionless parameters of these laboratory jets fall in the same regime as those of young stellar object jets. These jets will also provide new versatile laser-based platforms to study magnetized shocks, shear flows, and other plasma processes under controllable conditions.

Structure of X-ray emitting jets close to the launching site: from embedded to disk-bearing sources

Context. Several observations of stellar jets show evidence of X-ray emitting shocks close to the launching site. In some cases, including young stellar objects (YSOs) at different stages of evolution, the shocked features appear to be stationary. We study two cases, both located in the Taurus star-forming region. HH 154, the jet originating from the embedded binary Class 0/I protostar IRS 5, and the jet associated with DG Tau, a more evolved Class II disk-bearing source or classical T Tauri star (CTTS). Aims. We investigate the effect of perturbations in X-ray emitting stationary shocks in stellar jets and the stability and detectability in X-rays of these shocks, and we explore the differences in jets from Class 0 to Class II sources. Methods. We performed a set of 2.5D magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations that model supersonic jets ramming into a magnetized medium. The jet is formed of two components: a continuously driven component that forms a quasi-stationary shock at the base of the jet and a pulsed component consisting of blobs perturbing the shock. We explored different parameters for the two components. We studied two cases: HH 154, a light jet (less dense than the ambient medium), and a heavy jet (denser than the ambient medium) associated with DG Tau. We synthesized the count rate from the simulations and compared these data with available Chandra observations. Results. Our model is able to reproduce the observed jet properties at different evolutionary phases (in particular, for HH 154 and DG Tau) and can explain the formation of X-ray emitting quasi-stationary shocks observed at the base of jets in a natural way. The jet is collimated by the magnetic field forming a quasi-stationary shock at the base which emits in X-rays even when perturbations formed by a train of blobs are present. We found similar collimation mechanisms dominating in both heavy and light jets. Conclusions. We derived the physical parameters that can give rise to X-ray emission consistent with observations of HH 154 and DG Tau. We have also performed a wide exploration of the parameter space characterizing the model; this can be a useful tool to study and diagnose the physical properties of YSO jets over a broad range of physical conditions, from embedded to disk-bearing sources. We show that luminosity does not change significantly in variable jet models for the range of parameters explored. Finally, we provide an estimation of the maximum perturbations that can be present in HH 154 and DG Tau taking into account the available X-ray observations.

The Shock Dynamics of Heterogeneous YSO Jets:3D Simulations Meet Multi-epoch Observations

Abstract High-resolution observations of young stellar object (YSO) jets show them to be composed of many small-scale knots or clumps. In this paper, we report results of 3D numerical simulations designed to study how such clumps interact and create morphologies and kinematic patterns seen in emission line observations. Our simulations focus on clump scale dynamics by imposing velocity differences between spherical, over-dense regions, which then lead to the formation of bow shocks as faster clumps overtake slower material. We show that much of the spatial structure apparent in emission line images of jets arises from the dynamics and interactions of these bow shocks. Our simulations show a variety of time-dependent features, including bright knots associated with Mach stems where the shocks intersect, a “frothy” emission structure that arises from the presence of the Nonlinear Thin Shell Instability along the surfaces of the bow shocks, and the merging and fragmentation of clumps. Our simulations use a new non-equilibrium cooling method to produce synthetic emission maps in Hα and [S ii]. These are directly compared to multi-epoch Hubble Space Telescope observations of Herbig–Haro jets. We find excellent agreement between features seen in the simulations and the observations in terms of both proper motion and morphologies. Thus we conclude that YSO jets may be dominated by heterogeneous structures and that interactions between these structures and the shocks they produce can account for many details of YSO jet evolution.

对模拟年轻恒星喷流具有潜在应用的由强激光产生的等离子体喷流

对模拟年轻恒星喷流具有潜在应用的由强激光产生的等离子体喷流

Young stellar object jet models: From theory to synthetic observations

Astronomical observations, analytical solutions and numerical simulations have provided the building blocks to formulate the current theory of young stellar object jets. Although each approach has made great progress independently, it is only during the last decade that significant efforts are being made to bring the separate pieces together. Building on previous work that combined analytical solutions and numerical simulations, we apply a sophisticated cooling function to incorporate optically thin energy losses in the dynamics. On the one hand, this allows a self-consistent treatment of the jet evolution and on the other, it provides the necessary data to generate synthetic emission maps. Firstly, analytical disk and stellar outflow solutions are properly combined to initialize numerical two-component jet models inside the computational box. Secondly, magneto-hydrodynamical simulations are performed in 2.5D, following properly the ionization and recombination of a maximum of $29$ ions. Finally, the outputs are post-processed to produce artificial observational data. The first two-component jet simulations, based on analytical models, that include ionization and optically thin radiation losses demonstrate promising results for modeling specific young stellar object outflows. The generation of synthetic emission maps provides the link to observations, as well as the necessary feedback for the further improvement of the available models.

The hydrodynamics of astrophysical jets: scaled experiments and numerical simulations

Context. In this paper we study the propagation of hypersonic hydrodynamic jets (Mach number > 5) in a laboratory vessel and make comparisons with numerical simulations of axially symmetric flows in the same initial and boundary conditions. The astrophysical context is that of the jets originated about Young Stellar Objects (YSOs). Aims. In order to gain a deeper insight into the YSO jets phenomenology, we have performed a set of experiments and numerical simulations of hypersonic jets in the range of Mach numbers from 10 to 20 and for jet-to-ambient density ratios from 0.85 to 5.4, using different gas species and observing jet lengths of the order of 150 initial radii or more. Exploiting the scalability of the hydrodynamic equations, we intend to reproduce the YSO jet behaviors as far as the jet velocity and elapsed times are concerned. In addition, we can make comparisons between the simulated, the experimental and the observed morphologies. Methods. In the experiments the gas pressure and temperature are increased by a fast, quasi isentropic compression by means of a piston system operating on a time scale of tens of millisecond, while the gas density is visualized and measured by means of an electron beam system. We have used the PLUTO software for the numerical solution of mixed hyperbolic/parabolic conservation laws targeting high Mach number flows in astrophysical fluid dynamics. We consider axisymmetric initial conditions and carry out numerical simulations in cylindrical geometry. The code has a modular flexible structure whereby different numerical algorithms can be separately combined to solve systems of conservation laws using the finite volume or finite difference approach based on Godunov-type schemes. Results. The agreement between experiments and numerical simulations is fairly good in the majority of comparisons. The resulting scaled flow velocities and elapsed times are close to the ones shown by observations. The morphologies of the density distributions agree with the observed ones as well. Conclusions. The laboratory and the simulated hypersonic jets are all pressure matched, i.e. their axial regions are almost isentropic at the nozzle exit. They maintain their collimation for long distances in terms of the initial jet radii, without including magnetic confinement effects. This yields a qualitatively good agreement with the observed YSO jets morphologies. It remains to be seen what happens when non axially symmetric perturbations of the flow are imposed at the nozzle both in the experiment and in the simulation.

IRIS: a generic three-dimensional radiative transfer code

We present IRIS, a new generic three-dimensional (3D) spectral radiative transfer code that generates synthetic spectra, or images. It can be used as a diagnostic tool for comparison with astrophysical observations or laboratory astrophysics experiments. We have developed a 3D short-characteristic solver that works with a 3D nonuniform Cartesian grid. We have implemented a piecewise cubic, locally monotonic, interpolation technique that dramatically reduces the numerical diffusion effect. The code takes into account the velocity gradient effect resulting in gradual Doppler shifts of photon frequencies and subsequent alterations of spectral line profiles. It can also handle periodic boundary conditions. This first version of the code assumes Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) and no scattering. The opacities and source functions are specified by the user. In the near future, the capabilities of IRIS will be extended to allow for non-LTE and scattering modeling. IRIS has been validated through a number of tests. We provide the results for the most relevant ones, in particular a searchlight beam test, a comparison with a 1D plane-parallel model, and a test of the velocity gradient effect. IRIS is a generic code to address a wide variety of astrophysical issues applied to different objects or structures, such as accretion shocks, jets in young stellar objects, stellar atmospheres, exoplanet atmospheres, accretion disks, rotating stellar winds, cosmological structures. It can also be applied to model laboratory astrophysics experiments, such as radiative shocks produced with high power lasers.

YSO jets in the Galactic plane from UWISH2 - I. MHO catalogue for Serpens and Aquila

Jets and outflows from Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) are important signposts of currently ongoing star formation. In order to study these objects we are conducting an unbiased survey along the Galactic Plane in the 1-0S(1) emission line of molecular hydrogen at 2.122mu using the UK Infrared Telescope. In this paper we are focusing on a 33 square degree sized region in Serpens and Aquila (18deg < l < 30deg; -1.5deg < b < +1.5deg). We trace 131 jets and outflows from YSOs, which results in a 15 fold increase in the total number of known Molecular Hydrogen Outflows. Compared to this, the total integrated 1-0S(1) flux of all objects just about doubles, since the known objects occupy the bright end of the flux distribution. Our completeness limit is 3*10^-18Wm^-2 with 70% of the objects having fluxes of less than 10^-17Wm^-2. Generally, the flows are associated with Giant Molecular Cloud complexes and have a scale height of 25-30pc with respect to the Galactic Plane. We are able to assign potential source candidates to about half the objects. Typically, the flows are clustered in groups of 3-5 objects, within a radius of 5pc. These groups are separated on average by about half a degree, and 2/3rd of the entire survey area is devoid of outflows. We find a large range of apparent outflow lengths from 4arcsec to 130arcsec. If we assume a distance of 3kpc, only 10% of all outflows are of parsec scale. There is a 2.6sigma over abundance of flow position angles roughly perpendicular to the Galactic Plane.

Jets from young stars and z-pinch machines

Outflows and jets are intimately related to the formation of stars, and play a central role in redistributing mass, energy and angular momentum within the core, disk and parent cloud. The interplay between magnetic field and rotation is widely thought to be responsible for launching and collimating these outflows. Shear induced by differential rotation along initially poloidal field lines results in an azimuthal component of the magnetic field being generated; the magnetic pressure gradient then accelerates the plasma, and inflates bipolar magnetic cavities within the circumstellar matter. However, the resulting winding of the magnetic field can be potentially disrupted by magneto-hydrodynamic instabilities. To better understand the role of magnetic fields in shaping these ouflows, a series of experiments on pulsed-power z-pinch machines have been developed. In this talk I will present results related to the formation of jets in young stellar objects and in the laboratory, and draw a parallel between the two systems.

An investigation of the hydrodynamics of hypersonic jets in astrophysical conditions

Hypersonic, collimated jets are being lately intensively studied in Earth laboratories, trying to reproduce some of the physical properties of a subclass of astrophysical jets that are the Herbig-Haro (HH) jets. These jets are produced in the regions around Young Stellar Objects (YSOs), that are proto-stars located inside galactic Giant Molecular Clouds. In addition to the novel experimental approach, HH or YSO jets have been object of interest by the astrophysical community since a few decades and studied by means of observations at different wavelengths and analytical and numerical modeling. We present laboratory experiments and 2D numerical simulations of hypersonic jets, comparing the results of experiments and simulations that reproduce the evolution of the above mentioned jets. The experimental flows match two main scaling parameter requirements for proto-stellar jets, i.e. the ejection Mach number M and the jet/ambient density ratio η. In particular, η goes from slightly underdense to overdense values. Furthermore, as a development of previous works, we consider here the dependence of the jet structure and morphology on the Mach number, in the range 10 to 15.

PROTOSTELLAR OUTFLOWS: NEW PERSPECTIVES ON MESOSCOPIC STRUCTURE AND MACROSCOPIC FEEDBACK

This paper presents a brief review of new perspectives in the field of protostellar outflows concentrating on scales above those associated with the launch region (L &gt; 10 AU ). The formation and propagation of protostellar or Young Stellar Object (YSO) jets and collimated outflows has been intensively studied over the last 30 years with enormous progress being made in both theory and observations. As both the resolution and integration of observational platforms increases new features are revealed which have shifted the emphasis of research efforts. In this paper we review results in two different domains of YSO outflows research which focus on these new perspectives. We first review attempts to model jets as intrinsically heterogeneous (clumpy) systems. The role of sub-radial clumps (rc &lt; rj) within a jet are explored and these models are differentiated from the classic paradigm of pulsed jets. In the second section we look at YSO jets in a global, environmental context. The ability of YSO jets and outflows to generate and/or sustain turbulence in star forming environments has been suggested as a major source of feedback in young clusters. Until recently this suggestion has been untested via direct simulations. We review new work on star formation outflow feedback and discuss issues for future studies.

The nature of the soft X-ray source in DG Tauri

The classical T Tauri star DG Tau shows all typical signatures of X-ray activity and, in particular, harbors a resolved X-ray jet. DG Tau’s jet is one of the most well studied jets of young stellar objects, having been observed for more than 25 years by a variety of instruments. We demonstrate that its soft and hard X-ray components are separated spatially by approximately 0.2 arcsec by deriving the spatial offset between both components from the event centroids of the soft and hard photons utilizing the intrinsic energyresolution of the Chandra ACIS-S detector. We also demonstrate that this offset is physical and cannot be attributed to an instrumental origin or to low counting statistics. Furthermore, the location of the derived soft X-ray emission peak coincides with emission peaks observed for optical emission lines, suggesting that both soft X-rays and optical emission have the same physical origin.

The stellar-disk electric (short) circuit: observational predictions for a YSO jet flow

We discuss the star-disk electric circuit for a young stellar object (YSO) and calculate the expected torques on the star and the disk. We obtain the same disk magnetic field and star-disk torques as given by standard magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) analysis. We show how a short circuit in the star-disk electric circuit may produce a magnetically-driven jet flow from the inner edge of a disk surrounding a young star. An unsteady bipolar jet flow is produced that flows perpendicular to the disk plane. Jet speeds of order hundreds of kilometers per second are possible, while the outflow mass loss rate is proportional to the mass accretion rate and is a function of the disk inner radius relative to the disk co-rotation radius.

Gemini observations of disks and jets in young stellar objects and in active galaxies

We present first results from the Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrograph (NIFS) located at Gemini North. For the active galaxies Cygnus A and Perseus A we observe rotationally-supported accretion disks and adduce the existence of massive central black holes and estimate their masses. In Cygnus A we also see remarkable high-excitation ionization cones dominated by photoionization from the central engine. In the T-Tauri stars HV Tau C and DG Tau we see highly-collimated bipolar outflows in the [Fe II] 1.644 micron line, surrounded by a slower molecular bipolar outflow seen in the H_2 lines, in accordance with the model advocated by Pyo et al. (2002).