A 1D fluid model of the Centaurus A jet. Issue 1 (8th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wykes, Sarka; Snios, Bradford T; Nulsen, Paul E J; Kraft, Ralph P; Birkinshaw, Mark; Hardcastle, Martin J; Worrall, Diana M; McDonald, Iain; Rejkuba, Marina; Jones, Thomas W; Stark, David J; Forman, William R; Meyer, Eileen T; Jones, Christine
• Is Part Of: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Volume 485:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 872
• Page End: 888
• Publication Date: 2019-02-08
• Subjects: stars: low mass -- galaxies: active -- galaxies: individual: Centaurus A -- galaxies: jets -- X-rays: galaxies; Astronomy -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stz348
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0035-8711

Abstract

Abstract: We implement a steady, one-dimensional flow model for the X-ray jet of Centaurus A in which entrainment of stellar mass loss is the primary cause of dissipation. Using over 260 ks of new and archival Chandra /ACIS data, we have constrained the temperature, density and pressure distributions of gas in the central regions of the host galaxy of Centaurus A, and so the pressure throughout the length of its jet. The model is constrained by the observed profiles of pressure and jet width and conserves matter and energy, enabling us to estimate jet velocities and hence all the other flow properties. Invoking realistic stellar populations within the jet, we find that the increase in its momentum flux exceeds the net pressure force on the jet unless only about one half of the total stellar mass loss is entrained. For self-consistent models, the bulk speed only falls modestly, from ∼0.67 c to ∼0.52 c over the range of 0.25–5.94 kpc from the nucleus. The sonic Mach number varies between ∼5.3 and 3.6 over this range.