2002/01/24 by Alexei Poludnenko, A. Y. Poludnenko, Eric G. Blackman +6
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #FOS: Physical sciences #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0201398
Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal Letters
arxiv created 2002/01/24 · openalex publication_date 2002/01/24 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We consider the stability of an accretion disk wind to cloud formation when subject to a central radiation force. For a vertical launch velocity profile that is Keplerian or flatter and the presence of a significant radiation pressure, the wind flow streamlines cross in a conical layer. We argue that such regions are highly unstable, and are natural sites for supersonic turbulence and, consequently, density compressions. We suggest that combined with thermal instability these will all conspire to produce clouds. Such clouds can exist in dynamical equilibrium, constantly dissipating and reforming. As long as there is an inner truncation radius to the wind, our model emerges with a biconical structure similar to that inferred by Elvis (2000) for the broad line region (BLR) of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Our results may also apply to other disk-wind systems.