Magneto-centrifugal Force Research Articles

Magnetocentrifugal Origin for Protostellar Jets Validated through Detection of Radial Flow at the Jet Base

Abstract Jets can facilitate the mass accretion onto the protostars in star formation. They are believed to be launched from accretion disks around the protostars by magnetocentrifugal force, as supported by the detections of rotation and magnetic fields in some of them. Here we report a radial flow of the textbook-case protostellar jet HH 212 at the base to further support this jet-launching scenario. This radial flow validates a central prediction of the magnetocentrifugal theory of jet formation and collimation, namely, the jet is the densest part of a wide-angle wind that flows radially outward at distances far from the (small, sub-au) launching region. Additional evidence for the radially flowing wide-angle component comes from its ability to reproduce the structure and kinematics of the shells detected around the HH 212 jet. This component, which can transport material from the inner to outer disk, could account for the chondrules and Ca–Al-rich inclusions detected in the solar system at large distances.

Alfvén-wave-driven Magnetic Rotator Winds from Low-mass Stars. I. Rotation Dependences of Magnetic Braking and Mass-loss Rate

Abstract Observations of stellar rotation show that low-mass stars lose angular momentum during the main sequence. We simulate the winds of sunlike stars with a range of rotation rates, covering the fast and slow magneto-rotator regimes, including the transition between the two. We generalize an Alfvén-wave-driven solar wind model that builds on previous works by including the magneto-centrifugal force explicitly. In this model, the surface-averaged open magnetic flux is assumed to scale as , where and Ro are the surface open-flux filling factor and Rossby number, respectively. We find that, (1) the angular-momentum loss rate (torque) of the wind is described as , yielding a spin-down law . (2) The mass-loss rate saturates at , due to the strong reflection and dissipation of Alfvén waves in the chromosphere. This indicates that the chromosphere has a strong impact in connecting the stellar surface and stellar wind. Meanwhile, the wind ram pressure scales as , which is able to explain the lower envelope of the observed stellar winds by Wood et al. (3) The location of the Alfvén radius is shown to scale in a way that is consistent with one-dimensional analytic theory. Additionally, the precise scaling of the Alfvén radius matches previous works, which used thermally driven winds. Our results suggest that the Alfvén-wave-driven magnetic rotator wind plays a dominant role in the stellar spin-down during the main sequence.

On the fast magnetic rotator regime of stellar winds

Aims: We study the acceleration of the stellar winds of rapidly rotating low mass stars and the transition between the slow magnetic rotator and fast magnetic rotator regimes. We aim to understand the properties of stellar winds in the fast magnetic rotator regime and the effects of magneto-centrifugal forces on wind speeds and mass loss rates. Methods: We extend the solar wind model of Johnstone et al. (2015b) to 1D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the winds of rotating stars. We test two assumptions for how to scale the wind temperature to other stars and assume the mass loss rate scales as Mdot ~ Rstar^2 OmegaStar^1.33 Mstar^-3.36, in the unsaturated regime, as estimated by Johnstone et al. (2015a). Results: For 1.0 Msun stars, the winds can be accelerated to several thousand km/s, and the effects of magneto-centrifugal forces are much weaker for lower mass stars. We find that the different assumptions for how to scale the wind temperature to other stars lead to significantly different mass loss rates for the rapid rotators. If we assume a constant temperature, the mass loss rates of solar mass stars do not saturate at rapid rotation, which we show to be inconsistent with observed rotational evolution. If we assume the wind temperatures scale positively with rotation, the mass loss rates are only influenced significantly at rotation rates above 75 OmegaSun. We suggest that models with increasing wind speed for more rapid rotators are preferable to those that assume a constant wind speed. If this conclusion is confirmed by more sophisticated wind modelling. it might provide an interesting observational constraint on the properties of stellar winds.

STEADY GENERAL RELATIVISTIC MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC INFLOW/OUTFLOW SOLUTION ALONG LARGE-SCALE MAGNETIC FIELDS THAT THREAD A ROTATING BLACK HOLE

General relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) flows along magnetic fields threading a black hole can be divided into inflow and outflow parts, according to the result of the competition between the black hole gravity and magneto-centrifugal forces along the field line. Here we present the first self-consistent, semi-analytical solution for a cold, Poynting flux-dominated (PFD) GRMHD flow, which passes all four critical (inner and outer, Alfven and fast magnetosonic) points along a parabolic streamline. By assuming that the dominating (electromagnetic) component of the energy flux per flux tube is conserved at the surface where the inflow and outflow are separated, the outflow part of the solution can be constrained by the inflow part. The semi-analytical method can provide fiducial and complementary solutions for GRMHD simulations around the rotating black hole, given that the black hole spin, global streamline, and magnetizaion (i.e., a mass loading at the inflow/outflow separation) are prescribed. For reference, we demonstrate a self-consistent result with the work by McKinney in a quantitative level.

SWEEPING AWAY THE MYSTERIES OF DUSTY CONTINUOUS WINDS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

An integral part of the Unified Model for Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) is an axisymmetric obscuring medium, which is commonly depicted as a torus of gas and dust surrounding the central engine. However, a robust, dynamical model of the torus is required in order to understand the fundamental physics of AGNs and interpret their observational signatures. Here we explore self-similar, dusty disk-winds, driven by both magnetocentrifugal forces and radiation pressure, as an explanation for the torus. Using these models, we make predictions of AGN infrared (IR) spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from 2-100 microns by varying parameters such as: the viewing angle; the base column density of the wind; the Eddington ratio; the black hole mass; and the amount of power in the input spectrum emitted in the X-ray relative to that emitted in the UV/optical. We find that models with N_H,0 = 10^25 cm^-2, L/L_Edd = 0.1, and M_BH >= 10^8 Msun are able to adequately approximate the general shape and amount of power expected in the IR as observed in a composite of optically luminous Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasars. The effect of varying the relative power coming out in X-rays relative to the UV is a change in the emission below ~5 micron from the hottest dust grains; this arises from the differing contributions to heating and acceleration of UV and X-ray photons. We see mass outflows ranging from ~1-4 Msun/yr, terminal velocities ranging from ~1900-8000 km/s, and kinetic luminosities ranging from ~1x10^42-8x10^43 erg/s. Further development of this model holds promise for using specific features of observed IR spectra in AGNs to infer fundamental physical parameters of the systems.

Solar wind and its evolution

By using our previous results of magnetohydrodynamical simulations for the solar wind from open flux tubes, I discuss how the solar wind in the past is different from the current solar wind. The simulations are performed in fixed one-dimensional super-radially open magnetic flux tubes by inputing various types of fluctuations from the photosphere, which automatically determines solar wind properties in a forward manner. The three important parameters which determine physical properties of the solar wind are surface fluctuation, magnetic field strengths, and the configuration of magnetic flux tubes. Adjusting these parameters to the sun at earlier times in a qualitative sense, I infer that the quasi-steady-state component of the solar wind in the past was denser and slightly slower if the effect of the magneto-centrifugal force is not significant. I also discuss effects of magneto-centrifugal force and roles of coronal mass ejections.

EMISSION FROM A YOUNG PROTOSTELLAR OBJECT. I. SIGNATURES OF YOUNG EMBEDDED OUTFLOWS

We examine emission from a young protostellar object (YPO) with three-dimensional ideal MHD simulations and three-dimensional non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) line transfer calculations, and show the first results. To calculate the emission field, we employed a snapshot result of an MHD simulation having young bipolar outflows and a dense protostellar disk (a young circumstellar disk) embedded in an infalling envelope. Synthesized line emission of two molecular species (CO and SiO) show that subthermally excited SiO lines as a high density tracer can provide a better probe of the complex velocity field of a YPO, compared to fully thermalized CO lines. In a YPO at the earliest stage when the outflows are still embedded in the collapsing envelope, infall, rotation and outflow motions have similar speeds. We find that the combined velocity field of these components introduces a great complexity in the line emissions through varying optical thickness and emissivity, such as asymmetric double-horn profiles. We show that the rotation of the outflows, one of the features that characterizes an outflow driven by magneto-centrifugal forces, appears clearly in velocity channel maps and intensity-weighted mean velocity (first moment of velocity) maps. The somewhat irregular morphology of the line emission at this youngest stage is dissimilar to a more evolved object such as young Class 0. High angular resolution observation by e.g., the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope can reveal these features.

Two-flow magnetohydrodynamical jets around young stellar objects

We present the first-ever simulations of non-ideal magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) stellar winds coupled with disc-driven jets where the resistive and viscous accretion disc is self-consistently described. The transmagnetosonic, collimated MHD outflows are investigated numerically using the VAC code. Our simulations show that the inner outflow is accelerated from the central object hot corona thanks to both the thermal pressure and the Lorentz force. In our framework, the thermal acceleration is sustained by the heating produced by the dissipated magnetic energy due to the turbulence. Conversely, the outflow launched from the resistive accretion disc is mainly accelerated by the magneto-centrifugal force. We also show that when a dense inner stellar wind occurs, the resulting disc-driven jet have a different structure, namely a magnetic structure where poloidal magnetic field lines are more inclined because of the pressure caused by the stellar wind. This modification leads to both an enhanced mass ejection rate in the disc-driven jet and a larger radial extension which is in better agreement with the observations besides being more consistent.

Two-component magnetohydrodynamical outflows around young stellar objects

We present the first-ever simulations of non-ideal magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) stellar magnetospheric winds coupled with disc-driven jets where the resistive and viscous accretion disc is self-consistently described. These innovative MHD simulations are devoted to the study of the interplay between a stellar wind (having different ejection mass rates) and an MHD disc-driven jet embedding the stellar wind. The transmagnetosonic, collimated MHD outflows are investigated numerically using the VAC code. We first investigate the various angular momentum transports occurring in the magneto-viscous accretion disc. We then analyze the modifications induced by the interaction between the two components of the outflow. Our simulations show that the inner outflow is accelerated from the central object's hot corona thanks to both the thermal pressure and the Lorentz force. In our framework, the thermal acceleration is sustained by the heating produced by the dissipated magnetic energy due to the turbulence. Conversely, the outflow launched from the resistive accretion disc is mainly accelerated by the magneto-centrifugal force.}{The simulations show that the MHD disc-driven outflow extracts angular momentum more efficiently than do viscous effects in near-equipartition, thin-magnetized discs where turbulence is fully developed. We also show that, when a dense inner stellar wind occurs, the resulting disc-driven jet has a different structure, namely a magnetic structure where poloidal magnetic field lines are more inclined because of the pressure caused by the stellar wind. This modification leads to both an enhanced mass-ejection rate in the disc-driven jet and a larger radial extension that is in better agreement with the observations, besides being more consistent.

The magnetic nature of disk accretion onto black holes

Although disk accretion onto compact objects-white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes-is central to much of high-energy astrophysics, the mechanisms that enable this process have remained observationally difficult to determine. Accretion disks must transfer angular momentum in order for matter to travel radially inward onto the compact object. Internal viscosity from magnetic processes and disk winds can both in principle transfer angular momentum, but hitherto we lacked evidence that either occurs. Here we report that an X-ray-absorbing wind discovered in an observation of the stellar-mass black hole binary GRO J1655 - 40 (ref. 6) must be powered by a magnetic process that can also drive accretion through the disk. Detailed spectral analysis and modelling of the wind shows that it can only be powered by pressure generated by magnetic viscosity internal to the disk or magnetocentrifugal forces. This result demonstrates that disk accretion onto black holes is a fundamentally magnetic process.

Outflows and Jets from Collapsing Magnetized Cloud Cores

Star formation is usually accompanied by outflow phenomena. There is strong evidence that these outflows and jets are launched from the protostellar disk by magneto-rotational processes. Here, we report on our three dimensional, adaptive mesh, magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of collapsing, rotating, magnetized Bonnor-Ebert-Spheres whose properties are taken directly from observations. In contrast to the pure hydro case where no outflows are seen, our present simulations show an outflow from the protodisk surface at ~ AU and a jet at ~ 0.07 AU after a strong toroidal magnetic field build up. The large scale outflow, which extends up to ~ AU at the end of our simulation, is driven by toroidal magnetic pressure (spring), whereas the jet is powered by magneto-centrifugal force (fling). At the final stage of our simulation these winds are still confined within two respective shock fronts. Furthermore, we find that the jet-wind and the disk-anchored magnetic field extracts a considerable amount of angular momentum from the protostellar disk. The initial spin of our cloud core was chosen high enough to produce a binary system. We indeed find a close binary system (separation ~ 3 R_sol) which results from the fragmentation of an earlier formed ring structure. The magnetic field strength in these protostars reaches ~ 3 kG and becomes about 3 G at 1 AU from the center in agreement with recent observational results.

The Acceleration Mechanism of Resistive Magnetohydrodynamic Jets Launched from Accretion Disks

We analyzed the results of nonlinear resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of jet formation to study the acceleration mechanism of axisymmetric, resistive MHD jets. The initial state is a constant angular momentum, polytropic torus threaded by weak uniform vertical magnetic fields. The time evolution of the torus is simulated by applying the CIP-MOCCT scheme extended for resistive MHD equations. We carried out simulations up to 50 rotation periods at the innermost radius of the disk created by accretion from the torus. The acceleration forces and the characteristics of resistive jets were studied by computing forces acting on Lagrangian test particles. Since the angle between the rotation axis of the disk and magnetic field lines is smaller in resistive models than in ideal MHD models, magnetocentrifugal acceleration is smaller. The effective potential along a magnetic field line has a maximum around z ~ 0.5r0 in resistive models, where r0 is the radius at which the density of the initial torus is maximum. Jets are launched after the disk material is lifted to this height by pressure gradient force. Even in this case, the main acceleration force around the slow magnetosonic point is the magnetocentrifugal force. The power of the resistive MHD jet is comparable to the mechanical energy liberated in the disk by mass accretion. Joule heating is not essential for the formation of jets.

Magnetic Star‐Disk Coupling in Classical T Tauri Systems

We study the interaction between a dipolar magnetic field rooted in the central star and the circumstellar accretion disk in a classical T Tauri system. The MHD equations, including radiative energy transport, are solved for an axisymmetric system with a resistive, turbulent gas. A Shakura-Sunyaev-type eddy viscosity and a corresponding eddy magnetic diffusivity are assumed for the disk. The computations cover the disk and its halo in a radial interval from 1.7 to 20 stellar radii. The initial magnetic field configuration is unstable. Because of magnetocentrifugal forces caused by the rotational shear between star and disk, the magnetic field is stretched outward and part of the field lines open. For a solar-mass pre-main-sequence star and an accretion rate of 10-7 M☉ yr-1, a dipolar field of 1 kG (on the stellar surface) is not sufficient to disrupt the disk. The outer, slowly rotating parts of the disk become disconnected, and about 1/10 of the accretion flow is lost because of an outflow at midlatitudes. The critical field strength for the disruption of the disk lies between 1 and 10 kG. Outflows occur at midlatitudes, with mass fluxes of the order of 10% of the accretion rate of the disk. We find solutions in which the magnetic field tends to spin down the stellar rotation without disk disruption, but in these cases the accretion torque is dominant, and the star is still spun-up.

Magnetic star-disk interaction in classical T Tauri systems

We carry out 2.5D MHD simulations to study the interaction between a dipolar magnetic field of a T Tauri Star, a circumstellar accretion disk, and the halo above the disk. The initial disk is the result of 1D radiation hydrodynamics computations with opacities appropriate for low temperatures. The gas is assumed resistive, and inside the disk accretion is driven by a Shakura–Sunyaev-type eddy viscosity. Magnetocentrifugal forces due to the rotational shear between the star and the Keplerian disk cause the magnetic field to be stretched outwards and part of the field lines are opened. For a solar-mass central star and an accretion rate of 10−8 solar masses per year a field strength of 100 G (measured on the surface of the star) launches a substantial outflow from the inner parts of the disk. For a field strength of 1 kG the inner parts of disk is disrupted. The truncation of the disk turns out to be temporary, but the magnetic field structure remains changed after the disk is rebuilt.

Are Jets Ejected from Locally Magnetized Accretion Disks?

We investigated the jet formation from accretion disks in which a weak localized poloidal magnetic field is initially embedded. Previous MHD numerical simulations of jet formation from accretion disks initially assumed a large-scale vertical uniform magnetic field that threads the disk, which showed that jets are ejected from accretion disks by a magneto-centrifugal force and magnetic pressure. In contrast to a large-scale uniform magnetic field, what happens if the magnetic field is localized in the disk? Our MHD numerical simulation shows that the jet structure appears even if the initial magnetic field is localized in the disk. The disk material is ejected as a poloidal magnetic loop by magnetic pressure due to a toroidal magnetic field that is generated by the disk rotation. Though the ejection mechanism is different from that of the magneto-centrifugally driven jet model, the rising magnetic loop behaves like a jet; it is collimated by a pinching force of the toroidal magnetic field, and its velocity is on order of the Keplerian velocity of the disk.

Winds from Accretion Disks Driven by Radiation and Magnetocentrifugal Force

We study the two-dimensional, time-dependent hydrodynamics of radiation-driven winds from luminous accretion disks threaded by a strong, large-scale, ordered magnetic field. The radiation force is mediated primarily by spectral lines and is calculated using a generalized multidimensional formulation of the Sobolev approximation. The effects of the magnetic field are approximated by adding into the equation of motion a force that emulates a magnetocentrifugal force. Our approach allows us to calculate disk winds when the magnetic field controls the geometry of the flow, forces the flow to corotate with the disk, or both. In particular, we calculate models in which the lines of the poloidal component of the field are straight and inclined to the disk at a fixed angle. Our numerical calculations show that flows that conserve specific angular velocity have larger mass-loss rates than their counterparts that conserve specific angular momentum. The difference in the mass-loss rates between these two types of winds can be several orders of magnitude for low disk luminosities but vanishes for high disk luminosities. Winds that conserve angular velocity have much higher velocities than angular momentum-conserving winds. Fixing the wind geometry stabilizes winds that are unsteady when the geometry is derived self-consistently. The inclination angle between the poloidal velocity and the normal to the disk midplane is important. Nonzero inclination angles allow the magnetocentrifugal force to increase the mass-loss rate for low luminosities and increase the wind velocity for all luminosities. The presence of the azimuthal force does not change the mass-loss rate when the geometry of the flow is fixed. Our calculations also show that the radiation force can launch winds from magnetized disks. The line force can be essential in producing magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) winds from disks where the thermal energy is too low to launch winds or where the field lines make an angle of less than 30° with respect to the normal to the disk midplane. In the latter case the wind will be less decollimated by the centrifugal force near its base, and its collimation far away from the disk can be larger than the collimation of its centrifugally driven MHD counterpart.