Multiple transonic solutions with a new class of shock transitions in steady isothermal solar and stellar winds
It is shown that a new class of shock transitions arises in the transonic solutions of the steady isothermal solar wind equations when momentum deposition and/or nonradial flow tube divergence give rise to multiple critical points in the flow. These shock transitions between critical solutions occur for a certain range of the parameters which characterize the momentum deposition function. The isothermal wind equations allow multiple transonic solutions in the presence of such shock transitions, yielding a continuous solution passing through an inner critical point and solutions involving a shock transition between critical solutions. It is determined that these multiple transonic solutions have the same flow speed at the base but different supersonic flow speeds at infinity. It is found that the nonradial flow tube divergence and momentum addition are equivalent, which gives rise to multiple critical points and hence to multiple transonic solutions with shock transitions. In addition, the physical relevance of these properties are examined for astrophysical systems such as the inner solar wind, flows in extragalactic jets, and accretion discs.