Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An ‘Analytic Dynamical Magnetosphere’ Formalism For X-Ray And Optical Emission From Slowly Rotating Magnetic Massive Stars, S. P. Owocki, A. Ud-Doula, J. O. Sundqvist, V. Petit, David H. Cohen, R. H. D. Townsend

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

Slowly rotating magnetic massive stars develop ‘dynamical magnetospheres’ (DMs), characterized by trapping of stellar wind outflow in closed magnetic loops, shock heating from collision of the upflow from opposite loop footpoints, and subsequent gravitational infall of radiatively cooled material. In 2D and 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, the interplay among these three components is spatially complex and temporally variable, making it difficult to derive observational signatures and discern their overall scaling trends. Within a simplified, steady-state analysis based on overall conservation principles, we present here an ‘analytic dynamical magnetosphere’ (ADM) model that provides explicit formulae for density, temperature, and flow speed …