FORCE-FREE SELF-SIMILAR MAGNETICALLY DRIVEN RELATIVISTIC JETS

We present a class of self-similar solutions which represent force-fre e, axisymmetric, special relativistic, ideal, magnetohydrodynamic, col limated outflows (jets) from magnetized accretion disks around compact objects. The solutions extend to large distances beyond the light cyl inder, and capture many of the important processes of how acceleration present in more general non-force-free solutions. We show that the im portant factor which determines the general morphology (degree of coll imation) and the asymptotic Lorentz factor of the outflow is the distr ibution and total amount of electric current which hows along the jet. The present work makes the connection between the works of Li, Chiueh , & Begelman (1992) and Contopoulos (1994).