Introduction

Abstract

Axisymmetric stationary flows considered within ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) have been discussed in the context of many astrophysical sources. This class of flows includes accretion onto ordinary stars and black holes (Bondi and Hoyle, 1944; Bondi, 1952; Zel’dovich and Novikov, 1971; Shapiro and Teukolsky, 1983; Lipunov, 1992), axially symmetric stellar wind (Parker, 1958; Tassoul, 1978; Mihalas, 1978, Lammers and Cassinelli 1999; Bisnovatyi-Kogan 2001), jets from young stellar objects (Lada, 1985; Reipurth and Bally, 2001), and winds from the magnetospheres of radio pulsars (Michel, 1991; Beskin et al., 1993; Mestel, 1999). MHD models were actively developed in connection with the theory of magnetospheres of supermassive black holes which are assumed to be a “central engine” in active galactic nuclei and quasars (Blandford, 1976; Lovelace, 1976; Phinney, 1983; Begelman et al., 1984; Thorne et al., 1986).