Polytropic transonic galactic outflows in a dark matter halo with a central black hole

Abstract Polytropic transonic solutions of spherically symmetric and steady galactic winds in the gravitational potential of a dark matter halo (DMH) with a supermassive black hole (SMBH) are studied. The solutions are classified in terms of their topological features, and the gravitational potential of the SMBH adds a new branch to the transonic solutions generated by the gravity of the DMH. The topological types of the transonic solutions depend on the mass distribution, the amount of supplied energy, the polytropic index γ and the slope α of the DMH mass distribution. When α becomes larger than a critical value αc, the transonic solution types change dramatically. Further, our model predicts that it is possible for a slowly accelerating outflow to exist, even in quiescent galaxies with small γ. This slowly accelerating outflow differs from those considered in many of the previous studies focusing on supersonic outflows in active star-forming galaxies. In addition, our model indicates that outflows in active star-forming galaxies have only one transonic point in the inner region (∼0.01 kpc). The locus of this transonic point does not strongly depend on γ. We apply the polytropic model incorporating mass flux supplied by stellar components to the Sombrero galaxy, and conclude that it can reproduce the observed gas density and the temperature distribution well. This result differs significantly from the isothermal model, which requires an unrealistically large mass flux. Thus, we conclude that the polytropic model is more realistic than the isothermal model, and that the Sombrero galaxy can have a slowly accelerating outflow.