Journal article
ASYMPTOTIC OPENING ANGLES FOR COLLIDING-WIND BOW SHOCKS: THE CHARACTERISTIC-ANGLE APPROXIMATION
The Astrophysical journal, Vol.703(1), pp.89-95
09/20/2009
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/703/1/89
Abstract
By considering the advection and interaction of the vector momentum flux in highly supersonic spherically diverging winds, we derive a simple analytic description of the asymptotic opening angle of a wind-collision shock cone, in the approximation that the shocked gas is contained in a cone streaming out along a single characteristic opening angle. Both highly radiative and highly adiabatic limits are treated, and their comparison is the novel result. Analytic closed-form expressions are obtained for the inferred wind momentum ratios as a function of the observed shock opening angle, allowing the conspicuous shape of the asymptotic bow shock to be used as a preliminary constraint on more detailed modeling of the colliding winds. In the process, we explore from a general perspective the limitations in applying to the global shock geometry the so-called Dyson approximation, which asserts a local balance in the perpendicular ram pressure across the shock. © 2009 The American Astronomical Society.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- ASYMPTOTIC OPENING ANGLES FOR COLLIDING-WIND BOW SHOCKS: THE CHARACTERISTIC-ANGLE APPROXIMATION
- Creators
- Kenneth G Gayley - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Astrophysical journal, Vol.703(1), pp.89-95
- DOI
- 10.1088/0004-637X/703/1/89
- ISSN
- 0004-637X
- eISSN
- 1538-4357
- Publisher
- IOP
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/20/2009
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984428674902771
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