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Mass loss from the inner regions of accretion discs due to centrifugally driven magnetic wind flows

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Christopher Campbell

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Abstract

Wind flows and collimated jets are believed to be a feature of a range of disc accreting systems. These include active galactic nuclei, T Tauri stars, X-ray binaries and cataclysmic variables. The observed collimation implies large-scale magnetic fields and it is known that dipole-symmetry fields of sufficient strength can channel wind flows emanating from the surfaces of a disc. The disc inflow leads to the bending of the poloidal magnetic field lines, and centrifugally driven magnetic winds can be launched when the bending exceeds a critical value. Such winds can result in angular momentum transport at least as effective as turbulent viscosity, and hence they can play a major part in driving the disc inflow. It is shown here that if the standard boundary condition of vanishing viscous stress close to the stellar surface is applied, together with the standard connection between viscosity and magnetic diffusivity, then poloidal magnetic field bending increases as the star is approached with a corresponding increase in the wind mass loss rate. A significant amount of material can be lost from the system via the enhanced wind from a narrow region close to the stellar surface. This occurs for a Keplerian angular velocity distribution and for a modified form of angular velocity, which allows for matching of the disc and stellar rotation rates through a boundary layer above the stellar surface. The enhanced mass loss is significantly affected by the behaviour of the disc angular velocity as the stellar surface is approached, and hence by the stellar rotation rate. Such a mechanism may be related to the production of jets from the inner regions of disc accreting systems.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Campbell CG

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Year: 2010

Volume: 401

Issue: 1

Pages: 177-190

Print publication date: 01/01/2010

ISSN (print): 0035-8711

ISSN (electronic): 1365-2966

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15608.x

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15608.x

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