Mass loading and knot formation in AGN jets by stellar winds

TL;DR

This paper uses 3D MHD simulations to study how stellar winds from giant stars can load mass into AGN jets, causing knot formation or jet truncation, depending on wind strength and jet properties.

Contribution

It introduces detailed 3D MHD simulations to analyze the effects of stellar wind interactions on AGN jet morphology and dynamics, highlighting conditions for knot formation and jet disruption.

Findings

Stellar winds can produce observable knots in AGN jets.

Strong winds may truncate jet flow during transit.

Magnetic field strength influences interaction outcomes.

Abstract

Jets from active galaxies propagate from the central black hole out to the radio lobes on scales of hundreds of kiloparsecs. The jets may encounter giant stars with strong stellar winds and produce observable signatures. For strong winds and weak jets, the interaction may truncate the jet flow during its transit via the mass loading. For weaker jets, the interaction can produce knots in the jet. We present recent 3DMHD numerical simulations to model the evolution of this jet-wind interaction and its observational consequences. We explore (i) the relative mechanical luminosity of the radio jets and the stellar winds (ii) the impact parameter between the jets' axis and the stellar orbital path (iii) the relative magnetic field strength of the jets and the stellar winds.