Free access article

A&A 408, 813-816 (2003)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20030993

The thermal stability of mass-loaded flows

J. M. Pittard, T. W. Hartquist and I. Ashmore

Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
(Received 15 May 2003 / Accepted 23 June 2003 )

Abstract
We present a linear stability analysis of a flow undergoing conductively-driven mass-loading from embedded clouds. We find that mass-loading damps isobaric and isentropic perturbations, and in this regard is similar to the effect of thermal conduction, but is much more pronounced where many embedded clumps exist. The stabilizing influence of mass-loading is wavelength independent against isobaric (condensing) perturbations, but wavelength dependent against isentropic (wave-like) perturbations. We derive equations for the degree of mass-loading needed to stabilize such perturbations. We have also made 1D numerical simulations of a mass-loaded radiative shock and demonstrated the damping of the overstability when mass-loading is rapid enough.

Key words: shock waves -- instabilities -- hydrodynamics -- ISM: kinematics and dynamics -- stars: winds, outflows

Offprint request: J. M. Pittard, jmp@ast.leeds.ac.uk

SIMBAD Objects

© ESO 2003

The OpenURL standard is a protocol for transmission of metadata describing the resource that you wish to access. An OpenURL link contains article metadata and directs it to the OpenURL server of your choice. The OpenURL server can provide access to the resource and also offer complementary services (specific search engine, export of references...). The OpenURL link can be generated by different means.

• If your librarian has set up your subscription with an OpenURL resolver, OpenURL links appear automatically on the abstract pages.
• You can define your own OpenURL resolver with your EDPS Account. In this case your choice will be given priority over that of your library.
• You can use an add-on for your browser (Firefox or I.E.) to display OpenURL links on a page (see http://www.openly.com/openurlref/). You should disable this module if you wish to use the OpenURL server that you or your library have defined.