An analytical MHD wind model with latitudinal dependences obtained using separation of the variables

Abstract

A new class of analytical 2-D solutions of the full set of the steady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations, describing an axisymmetric helicoidal magnetized outflow originating from a rotating central object, is presented. The solutions are systematically obtained via a nonlinear separation of the variables in the momentum equation. The analysis yields three parameters which measure the anisotropy in the latitudinal distribution of various flow quantities. Topologically, the wind speed is controlled by an X-type critical point that acts to filter out a single wind-type branch and the Alfven singularity. The solutions can be regarded as an extension outside the equatorial plane of the Weber & Davis (1967) model of magnetized winds but with a variable polytropic index.

10 pages, 8 figures, Astron. & Astroph. accepted for publication (Febr. 2001)

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Three-dimensional Numerical Simulations of Magnetized Winds of Solar-Like Stars
• Nonradial and nonpolytropic astrophysical outflows. V. Acceleration and collimation of self-similar winds
• Nonradial and nonpolytropic astrophysical outflows IX. Modeling T Tauri jets with a low mass-accretion rate
• Impact of non-uniform surface magnetic fields on stellar winds
• Magnetic braking in young late-type stars: the effect of polar spots
• Application of a MHD hybrid solar wind model with latitudinal dependences to Ulysses data at minimum
• Stellar Coronal and Wind Models: Impact on Exoplanets