On the stability of stellar winds from early-type stars

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

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Early Stars, Flow Velocity, Magnetohydrodynamic Flow, Magnetohydrodynamic Stability, Stellar Winds, Diffuse Radiation, Equations Of Motion, Gas Pressure, Momentum Transfer, Perturbation Theory, Pressure Effects, Radial Flow, Radiation Pressure, Radiative Transfer, Temperature Effects

Scientific paper

Early-type stars are known to emit powerful stellar winds. Pressure effects are significant only within a few scale heights of the surface unless the gas becomes very hot. Once the wind has become highly supersonic it is driven by radiation pressure acting on suitable resonance lines. The body force on the gas depends on the local velocity gradient. If the flow is everywhere radial the motion remains laminar. Especially high wind speeds are predicted when the mass-loss rate M is close to the maximum allowable value, lambda. But the radiation field will in addition produce a non-radial component of acceleration when the flow is perturbed. If the mass-loss rate exceeds lambda/2 such disturbances are amplified with height. The wind will depart seriously from radial flow long before it reaches a height equal to the stellar radius. It is suggested that this instability causes the patchy structure observed in stellar winds, and that the decay of turbulent energy heats the gas and helps produce the emission of X-rays.

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