Self-Similar Equilibria of Self-Gravitating, Magnetized, Rotating, Isothermal Systems

Abstract

The self-similar equilibrium models of self-gravitating, rotating, isothermal systems are investigated analytically. In these models the rotation velocity is constant and the density varies as $\frac{f(\theta, \phi)}{r^2}$, where $r$ and $\theta$ are the spherical radius and the co-latitude, respectively. The nonaxisymmetric solutions contain three free parameters, one of the parameters depends on the rotation velocity. These parameters determine the overall shape of the density distribution. By assuming that the dominant component of the magnetic field is purely toroidal and the ratio of the purely toroidal magnetic pressure to the gas pressure, $\alpha$, is spatially constant, the axisymmetric solutions generalized so as the effect of magnetic field could be studied. We find that the equilibria of axially symmetric systems yield ellipsoids or spheres only when the ratio of rotation velocity to the sound speed is taken to be $\sqrt{2\alpha}$.