Summary
Abstract The mechanism of thermal driving for launching mass outflows is interconnected with classical thermal instability (TI). In a recent paper, we demonstrated that as a result of this interconnectedness, radial wind solutions of X-ray-heated flows are prone to becoming clumpy. In this paper, we first show that the Bernoulli function determines whether or not the entropy mode can grow due to TI in dynamical flows. Based on this finding, we identify a critical “unbound” radius beyond which TI should accompany thermal driving. Our numerical disk wind simulations support this result and reveal that clumpiness is a consequence of buoyancy disrupting the stratified structure of steady-state solutions. Namely, instead of a smooth transition layer separating the highly ionized disk wind from
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.