Hydrodynamics of Hypersonic Jets: Experiments and Numerical Simulations

TL;DR

This paper investigates the behavior and morphology of hypersonic jets from Young Stellar Objects through combined laboratory experiments and numerical simulations, providing insights into their propagation in dense molecular clouds.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive study combining experimental and numerical approaches to understand hypersonic jet dynamics in astrophysical environments.

Findings

Insights into jet propagation in molecular clouds

Comparison between experimental and simulation results

Enhanced understanding of jet morphology evolution

Abstract

Stars form in regions of the galaxy that are denser and cooler than the mean interstellar medium. These regions are called Giant Molecular Clouds. At the beginning of their life, up to $10^5-10^6$ years, stars accrete matter from their rich surrounding environment and are origin of a peculiar phenomenon that is the jet emission. Jets from Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) are intensively studied by the astrophysical community by observations at different wavelengths, analytical and numerical modeling and laboratory experiments. Indications about the jet propagation and its resulting morphologies are here obtained by means of a combined study of hypersonic jets carried out both in the laboratory and by numerical simulations.