The different flavors of extragalactic jets: The role of relativistic flow deceleration

Abstract

We perform three-dimensional numerical simulations of relativistic (with a Lorentz factor of 10), non-magnetized jets propagating in a uniform density environment in order to study the effect of the entrainment and the consequent deceleration. Our simulations investigate the jet propagation inside the galaxy core, where the deceleration most likely occurs more efficiently. We compare cases with different density and pressure ratios with respect to the ambient medium and find that low density jets are efficiently decelerated and reach a quasi-steady state in which, over a length of 600 jet radii, they slow down from highly relativistic to sub-relativistic velocities. Conversely, denser jets keep highly relativistic velocities over the same length. We discuss these results in relation to the Faranoff Riley (FR) radio source classification. We infer that lower density jets can give rise to FR 0 and FR I radio sources, while higher density jets may be connected to FR II radio sources.