Vortical mechanism for generation of astrophysical jets

A vortical mechanism for generation of astrophysical jets is proposed based on exact solutions of the hydrodynamic equations with a generalized Rankine vortex. It is shown that the development of a Rankine vortex in the polar layer of a rotating gravitating body creates longitudinal fluxes of matter that converge toward the vortex trunk, providing an exponential growth in the angular rotation velocity of the trunk and a pressure drop on its axis. The increased rotational velocity of the vortex trunk and the on-axis pressure drop cease when the discontinuity in the azimuthal velocity at the surface of the trunk reaches the sound speed. During this time, ever deeper layers of the gravitating body are brought into the vortical motion, while the longitudinal velocity of the flow along the vortex trunk builds up, producing jet outflows of mass from its surface. The resulting vortices are essentially dissipationless.