Astrophysical Jets driven by Magnetic Fields ?

[Widdekind]

Astrophysical jets are cosmologically common, occurring in systems as diverse, as forming proto-stars (in Bok Globules):

 

to post-stellar remnants, in X-ray Binaries:

 

Now, jets are 'anti-symmetric', since they travel in opposite directions, both being out-bound. Thus, reversing the rotation of the disk-and-central-object, would not affect the jets. Such an 'anti-symmetry' is characteristic of dipoloidal magnetic fields, whose 'looping' field lines converge down into the disk, from one pole; and diverge up away from the disk, towards the other pole.

 

That 'odd symmetry' of the magnetic field, implies that ions above the disk would be accelerated upwards, whereas ions below the disk, would be accelerated downwards -- to wit, both outbound. Thus, provided that the accretion disk rotates in the same sense, as the central magnetic-field-generating-object, then dipoloidal magnetic fields 'have the required character' for the central engine powering jets.