Date Presented:

2003/01/1

Abstract:

We use exact self-similar solutions of the steady, axisymmetric, relativistic, hydromagnetic equations to study the formation of AGN jets. Our formalism allows us to examine the effects of the thermal, centrifugal, and electromagnetic forces on the flow acceleration and collimation. We apply our analysis to the jet in NGC 6251 and show that the puzzling sub-pc scale acceleration to mildly relativistic speeds recently inferred in this source from VLBI measurements can be attributed to magnetic driving.

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