Co-Rotating Interaction Regions in 2D Hot-Star Wind Models with Line-Driven Instability
Abstract
I review simulations of Co-rotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) in line-driven stellar winds. Previous CIR models have been based on a local, Sobolev treatment of the line-force, which effectively suppresses the strong, small-scale instability intrinsic to line-driving. Here I describe a new "3-ray-aligned-grid" method for computing the nonlocal, smooth-source-function line-force in 2D models that do include this line-driven instability. Preliminary results indicate that key overall features of large-scale CIRs can be quite similar in both Sobolev and non-Sobolev treatments, if the level of instability-generated wind structure is not too great. However, in certain models wherein the unstable self-excitation of wind variability penetrates back to the wind base, the stochastic, small-scale structure can become so dominant that it effectively disrupts any large-scale, CIR pattern.
- Publication:
-
IAU Colloq. 169: Variable and Non-spherical Stellar Winds in Luminous Hot Stars
- Pub Date:
- 1999
- DOI:
- 10.1007/BFb0106394
- Bibcode:
- 1999LNP...523..294O