Contribution
3D simulations of a supersonic jet interacting with an inhomogeneous medium
Presenter: Alexander Wagner (Australian National University)
Abstract: Recent X-ray images of Centaurus A (Hardcastle et al. 2008) show compact knots in the region where the jet flares. It is feasible that interaction of the jet with clouds along its trajectory causes a transition to turbulent flow causing the jet to flare. We shall present simulations of a supersonic jet interacting with a cloudy, inhomogeneous interstellar medium, which enable us to understand this type of interaction in detail. We examine the velocities and emission line properties of radiative shocks driven into the clouds in order to ascertain whether any of the optical and infrared emission in the region of the jet may be associated with jet-cloud interactions.