Outflow from Hot Accretion Flows

TL;DR

This study uses hydrodynamical and magnetohydrodynamical simulations to investigate the physical mechanisms behind outflows in hot accretion flows, providing evidence that supports the ADIOS model over CDAF.

Contribution

It demonstrates systematic differences between inflow and outflow properties and favors the ADIOS model, highlighting distinct mechanisms in HD and MHD flows without requiring large-scale magnetic fields.

Findings

Outflow temperature is higher than inflow in HD flows.

Outflow has higher specific angular momentum in MHD flows.

MHD accretion flows are stable against convection.

Abstract

Numerical simulations of hot accretion flows have shown that the mass accretion rate decreases with decreasing radius. Two models have been proposed to explain this result. In the adiabatic inflow-outflow solution (ADIOS), it is thought to be due to the loss of gas in outflows. In the convection-dominated accretion flow (CDAF) model, it is explained as because that the gas is locked in convective eddies. In this paper we use hydrodynamical (HD) and magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations to investigate which one is physical. We calculate and compare various properties of inflow (gas with an inward velocity) and outflow (gas with an outward velocity). Systematic and significant differences are found. For example, for HD flows, the temperature of outflow is higher than inflow; while for MHD flows, the specific angular momentum of outflow is much higher than inflow. We have also analyzed the convective stability of MHD accretion flow and found that they are stable. These results suggest that systematic inward and outward motion must exist, i.e., the ADIOS model is favored. The different properties of inflow and outflow also suggest that the mechanisms of producing outflow in HD and MHD flows are buoyancy associated with the convection and the centrifugal force associated with the angular momentum transport mediated by the magnetic field, respectively. The latter mechanism is similar to the Blandford & Payne mechanism but no large-scale open magnetic field is required here. Possible observational applications are briefly discussed.