| Recollimation and Focusing of Relativistic, Radiative Jets: Applications to Blazars and M87 (2008) | |||||||||
Abstract | |||||||||
| Hydrodynamic collimation of a radiating, relativistic outflow is studied using a semi-analytical model developed earlier. It is demonstrate that even modest radiative cooling of the shocked outflow layer can lead to a focusing of the outflow and its reconfinement in a nozzle having a very small cross-sectional radius. Such a configuration can produce rapid variability at large distances from the central engine via reflections of the converging recollimation shock. Possible applications of this model to TeV blazars are discussed. We also apply our model to M87. The low radiative efficiency of the M87 jet renders focusing unlikely. However, the shallow profile of the ambient medium pressure inferred from observations, results in extremely good collimation that can explain the reported variability of the X-ray flux emitted from the HST-1 knot.. Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures | |||||||||
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