We investigate mass losses via stellar winds from sun-like main sequence stars with a wide range of activity levels. We perform forward-type magnetohydrodynamical numerical experiments for Alfven wave-driven stellar winds with a wide range of the inp
ut Poynting flux from the photosphere. Increasing the magnetic field strength and the turbulent velocity at the stellar photosphere from the current solar level, the mass loss rate rapidly increases at first owing to the suppression of the reflection of the Alfven waves. The surface materials are lifted up by the magnetic pressure associated with the Alfven waves, and the cool dense chromosphere is intermittently extended to 10 -- 20 % of the stellar radius. The dense atmospheres enhance the radiative losses and eventually most of the input Poynting energy from the stellar surface escapes by the radiation. As a result, there is no more sufficient energy remained for the kinetic energy of the wind; the stellar wind saturates in very active stars, as observed in Wood et al. The saturation level is positively correlated with B_{r,0}f_0, where B_{r,0} and f_0 are the magnetic field strength and the filling factor of open flux tubes at the photosphere. If B_{r,0}f_0 is relatively large >~ 5 G, the mass loss rate could be as high as 1000 times. If such a strong mass loss lasts for ~ 1 billion years, the stellar mass itself is affected, which could be a solution to the faint young sun paradox. We derive a Reimers-type scaling relation that estimates the mass loss rate from the energetics consideration of our simulations. Finally, we derive the evolution of the mass loss rates, dot{M} t^{-1.23}, of our simulations, combining with an observed time evolution of X-ray flux from sun-like stars, which is shallower than dot{M} t^{-2.33+/-0.55} in Wood et al.(2005).
By performing local three-dimensional MHD simulations of stratified accretion disks, we investigate disk winds driven by MHD turbulence. Initially given weak vertical magnetic fields are effectively amplified by magnetorotational instability and wind
ing due to differential rotation. Large scale channel flows develop most effectively at 1.5 - 2 times the scale heights where the magnetic pressure is comparable to but slightly smaller than the gas pressure. The breakup of these channel flows drives structured disk winds by transporting the Poynting flux to the gas. These features are universally observed in the simulations of various initial fields. This disk wind process should play an essential role in the dynamical evaporation of proto-planetary disks. The breakup of channel flows also excites the momentum fluxes associated with Alfvenic and (magneto-)sonic waves toward the mid-plane, which possibly contribute to the sedimentation of small dust grains in protoplanetary disks.
We investigate the role of Alfven waves in the core-collapse supernova (SN) explosion. We assume that Alfven waves are generated by convections inside a proto-neutron star (PNS) and emitted from its surface. Then these waves propagate outwards, dissi
pate via nonlinear processes, and heat up matter around a stalled prompt shock. To quantitatively assess the importance of this process for the revival of the stalled shock, we perform 1D time-dependent hydrodynamical simulations, taking into account the heating via the dissipation of Alfven waves that propagate radially outwards along open flux tubes. We show that the shock revival occurs if the surface field strength is larger than ~2e15 G and if the amplitude of velocity fluctuation at the PNS surface is larger than 20% of the local sound speed. Interestingly, the Alfven wave mechanism is self-regulating in the sense that the explosion energy is not very sensitive to the surface field strength and initial amplitude of Alfven waves as long as they are larger than the threshold values given above.
