paper

Envelope Expansion with Core Collapse. III. Similarity Isothermal Shocks in a Magnetofluid

arXiv:astro-ph/0604261 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10432.x

Abstract

We explore MHD solutions for envelope expansions with core collapse (EECC) with isothermal MHD shocks in a quasi-spherical symmetry and outline potential astrophysical applications of such magnetized shock flows. MHD shock solutions are classified into three classes according to the downstream characteristics near the core. Class I solutions are those characterized by free-fall collapses towards the core downstream of an MHD shock, while Class II solutions are those characterized by Larson-Penston (LP) type near the core downstream of an MHD shock. Class III solutions are novel, sharing both features of Class I and II solutions with the presence of a sufficiently strong magnetic field as a prerequisite. Various MHD processes may occur within the regime of these isothermal MHD shock similarity solutions, such as sub-magnetosonic oscillations, free-fall core collapses, radial contractions and expansions. We can also construct families of twin MHD shock solutions as well as an `isothermal MHD shock' separating two magnetofluid regions of two different yet constant temperatures. The versatile behaviours of such MHD shock solutions may be utilized to model a wide range of astrophysical problems, including star formation in magnetized molecular clouds, MHD link between the asymptotic giant branch phase to the proto-planetary nebula phase with a hot central magnetized white dwarf, relativistic MHD pulsar winds in supernova remnants, radio afterglows of soft gamma-ray repeaters and so forth.

arXiv comment21 pages, 33 figures, accepted by MNRAS

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