arXiv subjects

Asif ud-Doula

Publications and source records attributed to Asif ud-Doula.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Angular Momentum Loss and Stellar spin-down in Magnetic Massive Stars

We examine the angular momentum loss and associated rotational spin-down for magnetic hot stars with a line-driven stellar wind and a rotation-aligned dipole magnetic field. Our analysis here is based on our previous 2-D numerical MHD simulation study that examines the interplay among wind, field, and rotation as a function of two dimensionless parameters, W(=Vrot/Vorb) and 'wind magnetic confinement', $η_\ast$ defined below. We compare and contrast the 2-D, time variable angular momentum loss of this dipole model of a hot-star wind with the classical 1-D steady-state analysis by Weber and Davis (WD), who used an idealized monopole field to model the angular momentum loss in the solar wind. Despite the differences, we find that the total angular momentum loss averaged over both solid angle and time follows closely the general WD scaling $\dot {J} \sim \dot {M} ΩR_A^2$. The key distinction is that for a dipole field Alfvèn radius $R_A$ is significantly smaller than for the monopole field WD used in their analyses. This leads to a slower stellar spin-down for the dipole field with typical spin-down times of order 1 Myr for several known magnetic massive stars.

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arXiv2008

Dynamical Simulations of Magnetically Channeled Line-Driven Stellar Winds: III. Angular Momentum Loss and Rotational Spindown

We examine the angular momentum loss and associated rotational spindown for magnetic hot stars with a line-driven stellar wind and a rotation-aligned dipole magnetic field. Our analysis here is based on our previous 2-D numerical MHD simulation study that examines the interplay among wind, field, and rotation as a function of two dimensionless parameters, one characterizing the wind magnetic confinement ($η_{\ast} \equiv B_{eq}^{2} R_{\ast}^{2}/{\dot M} v_{\infty}$), and the other the ratio ($W \equiv V_{rot}/V_{orb}$) of stellar rotation to critical (orbital) speed. We compare and contrast the 2-D, time variable angular momentum loss of this dipole model of a hot-star wind with the classical 1-D steady-state analysis by Weber and Davis (WD), who used an idealized monopole field to model the angular momentum loss in the solar wind. Despite the differences, we find that the total angular momentum loss ${\dot J}$ averaged over both solid angle and time follows closely the general WD scaling ${\dot J} = (2/3) {\dot M} ΩR_{A}^{2}$, where ${\dot M}$ is the mass loss rate, $Ω$ is the stellar angular velocity, and $R_{A}$ is a characteristic Alfvén radius. However, a key distinction here is that for a dipole field, this Alfvén radius has a strong-field scaling $R_{A}/R_{\ast} \approx η_{\ast}^{1/4}$, instead of the scaling $R_{A}/R_{\ast} \sim \sqrt{η_{\ast}}$ for a monopole field. This leads to a slower stellar spindown time that in the dipole case scales as $τ_{spin} = τ_{mass} 1.5k/\sqrt{η_{\ast}}$, where $τ_{mass} \equiv M/{\dot M}$ is the characteristic mass loss time, and $k$ is the dimensionless factor for stellar moment of inertia. The full numerical scaling relation we cite gives typical spindown times of order 1 Myr for several known magnetic massive stars.

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arXiv2007

Dynamical Simulations of Magnetically Channeled Line-Driven Stellar Winds: II. The Effects of Field-Aligned Rotation

Building upon our previous MHD simulation study of magnetic channeling in radiatively driven stellar winds, we examine here the additional dynamical effects of stellar {\em rotation} in the (still) 2-D axisymmetric case of an aligned dipole surface field. In addition to the magnetic confinement parameter $η_{\ast}$ introduced in Paper I, we characterize the stellar rotation in terms of a parameter $W \equiv V_{\rm{rot}}/V_{\rm{orb}}$ (the ratio of the equatorial surface rotation speed to orbital speed), examining specifically models with moderately strong rotation $W =$ 0.25 and 0.5, and comparing these to analogous non-rotating cases. Defining the associated Alfvén radius $R_{\rm{A}} \approx η_{\ast}^{1/4} \Rstar$ and Kepler corotation radius $R_{\rm{K}} \approx W^{-2/3} \Rstar$, we find rotation effects are weak for models with $R_{\rm{A}} < R_{\rm{K}}$, but can be substantial and even dominant for models with $R_{\rm{A}} \gtwig R_{\rm{K}}$. In particular, by extending our simulations to magnetic confinement parameters (up to $η_{\ast} = 1000$) that are well above those ($η_{\ast} = 10$) considered in Paper I, we are able to study cases with $R_{\rm{A}} \gg R_{\rm{K}}$; we find that these do indeed show clear formation of the {\em rigid-body} disk predicted in previous analytic models, with however a rather complex, dynamic behavior characterized by both episodes of downward infall and outward breakout that limit the buildup of disk mass. Overall, the results provide an intriguing glimpse into the complex interplay between rotation and magnetic confinement, and form the basis for a full MHD description of the rigid-body disks expected in strongly magnetic Bp stars like $σ$ Ori E.

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arXiv2005

Chandra HETGS Multi-Phase Spectroscopy of the Young Magnetic O Star theta^1 Orionis C

We report on four Chandra grating observations of the oblique magnetic rotator theta^1 Ori C (O5.5 V) covering a wide range of viewing angles with respect to the star's 1060 G dipole magnetic field. We employ line-width and centroid analyses to study the dynamics of the X-ray emitting plasma in the circumstellar environment, as well as line-ratio diagnostics to constrain the spatial location, and global spectral modeling to constrain the temperature distribution and abundances of the very hot plasma. We investigate these diagnostics as a function of viewing angle and analyze them in conjunction with new MHD simulations of the magnetically channeled wind shock mechanism on theta^1 Ori C. This model fits all the data surprisingly well, predicting the temperature, luminosity, and occultation of the X-ray emitting plasma with rotation phase.

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arXiv2003

Magnetic Spin-Up of Line-Driven Winds

We summarize recent 2D MHD simulations of line-driven stellar winds from rotating hot-stars with a dipole magnetic field aligned to the star's rotation axis. For moderate to strong fields, much wind outflow is initially along closed magnetic loops that nearly corotate as a solid body with the underlying star, thus providing a torque that results in an effective angular momentum spin-up of the outflowing material. But instead of forming the ``magnetically torqued disk'' (MTD) postulated in previous phenemenological analyses, the dynamical simulations here show that material trapped near the tops of such closed loops tends either to fall back or break out, depending on whether it is below or above the Keplerian corotation radius. Overall the results raise serious questions about whether magnetic torquing of a wind outflow could naturally result in a Keplerian circumstellar disk. However, for very strong fields, it does still seem possible to form a %``magnetically confined, centrifugally supported, rigid-body disk'', centrifugally supported, ``magnetically rigid disk'' (MRD), in which the field not only forces material to maintain a rigid-body rotation, but for some extended period also holds it down against the outward centrifugal force at the loop tops. We argue that such rigid-body disks seem ill-suited to explain the disk emission from Be stars, but could provide a quite attractive paradigm for circumstellar emission from the magnetically strong Bp and Ap stars.

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arXiv2003

The Effects of Magnetic Fields on Line-Driven Hot-Star Winds

This talk summarizes results from recent MHD simulations of the role of a dipole magnetic field in inducing large-scale structure in the line-driven stellar winds of hot, luminous stars. Unlike previous fixed-field analyses, the MHD simulations here take full account of the dynamical competition between the field and the flow. A key result is that the overall degree to which the wind is influenced by the field depends largely on a single, dimensionless `wind magnetic confinement parameter', $η_\ast (= B_{eq}^2 R_{\ast}^2/\dot{M} v_\infty$), which characterizes the ratio between magnetic field energy density and kinetic energy density of the wind. For weak confinement, $η_\ast \le 1$, the field is fully opened by wind outflow, but nonetheless, for confinement as small as $η_\ast=1/10$ it can have significant back-influence in enhancing the density and reducing the flow speed near the magnetic equator. For stronger confinement, $η_\ast > 1$, the magnetic field remains closed over limited range of latitude and height above the equatorial surface, but eventually is opened into nearly radial configuration at large radii. Within the closed loops, the flow is channeled toward loop tops into shock collisions that are strong enough to produce hard X-rays. Within the open field region, the equatorial channeling leads to oblique shocks that are again strong enough to produce X-rays and also lead to a thin, dense, slowly outflowing ``disk'' at the magnetic equator.

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arXiv2003

The Effect of Magnetic Field Tilt and Divergence on the Mass Flux and Flow Speed in a Line-Driven Stellar Wind

We carry out an extended analytic study of how the tilt and faster-than-radial expansion from a magnetic field affect the mass flux and flow speed of a line-driven stellar wind. A key motivation is to reconcile results of numerical MHD simulations with previous analyses that had predicted non-spherical expansion would lead to a strong speed enhancement. By including finite-disk correction effects, a dynamically more consistent form for the non-spherical expansion, and a moderate value of the line-driving power index $α$, we infer more modest speed enhancements that are in good quantitative agreement with MHD simulations, and also are more consistent with observational results. Our analysis also explains simulation results that show the latitudinal variation of the surface mass flux scales with the square of the cosine of the local tilt angle between the magnetic field and the radial direction. Finally, we present a perturbation analysis of the effects of a finite gas pressure on the wind mass loss rate and flow speed in both spherical and magnetic wind models, showing that these scale with the ratio of the sound speed to surface escape speed, $a/v_{esc}$, and are typically 10-20% compared to an idealized, zero-gas-pressure model.

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arXiv2002

X ray emission line profile modeling of hot stars

The launch of high-spectral-resolution x-ray telescopes (Chandra, XMM) has provided a host of new spectral line diagnostics for the astrophysics community. In this paper we discuss Doppler-broadened emission line profiles from highly supersonic outflows of massive stars. These outflows, or winds, are driven by radiation pressure and carry a tremendous amount of kinetic energy, which can be converted to x rays by shock-heating even a small fraction of the wind plasma. The unshocked, cold wind is a source of continuum opacity to the x rays generated in the shock-heated portion of the wind. Thus the emergent line profiles are affected by transport through a two-component, moving, optically thick medium. While complicated, the interactions among these physical effects can provide quantitative information about the spatial distribution and velocity of the x-ray-emitting and absorbing plasma in stellar winds. We present quantitative models of both a spherically-symmetric wind and a wind with hot plasma confined in an equatorial disk by a dipole magnetic field.

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arXiv2002

Dynamical Simulations of Magnetically Channeled Line-Driven Stellar Winds: I. Isothermal, Nonrotating, Radially Driven Flow

We present numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the effect of stellar dipole magnetic fields on line-driven wind outflows from hot, luminous stars. Unlike previous fixed-field analyses, the simulations here take full account of the dynamical competition between field and flow, and thus apply to a full range of magnetic field strength, and within both closed and open magnetic topologies. A key result is that the overall degree to which the wind is influenced by the field depends largely on a single, dimensionless, `wind magnetic confinement parameter', $η_{\ast}$ ($ = B_{eq}^2 R_\ast^2/{\dot M} v_\infty$), which characterizes the ratio between magnetic field energy density and kinetic energy density of the wind. For weak confinement $η_{\ast} \le 1$, the field is fully opened by the wind outflow, but nonetheless for confinements as small as $η_{\ast}=1/10$ can have a significant back-influence in enhancing the density and reducing the flow speed near the magnetic equator. For stronger confinement $η_{\ast} > 1$, the magnetic field remains closed over a limited range of latitude and height about the equatorial surface, but eventually is opened into a nearly radial configuration at large radii.

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