Session 21 - Jets, H-H Objects, and Molecular Outflows.
Display session, Monday, January 15
North Banquet Hall, Convention Center

## [21.01] The Dynamics of precessing Jets: 3-D Simulations and Comparison with Observations of Molecular Outflows around YSOs

J. A. Cliffe, A. Frank, T. W. Jones (U. Minnesota)

3-D numerical simulations of precessing stellar jets are presented and studied to understand their basic physics and appropriateness as a model for generating point symmetry in astrophysical objects and molecular outflows. A range of cone angles and precession rates are examined. The results of four polytropic simulations with resolution of 128 \times 128 \times 128 and \gamma - 5/3 are shown. In addition, one run with in order to simulate the effects of cooling expected in molecular clouds. Higher resolution (256 \times 256 \times 256 zones) runs are performed to establish the effects of resolution on the results. The morphological and kinematical structures of precessing jets is discussed and compared with those of well-studied straight jets. Additionally, `synthetic images' along the lobe are generated and qualitatively compared with observations. It is found that precessing jets are successful at reproducing many of the observed characteristics of molecular outflows, including the wide range of length:width ratios seen in the lobes, the momentum distribution and the high degree of bipolarity.