We implement a steady , one-dimensional flow model for the X-ray jet of Centaurus A in which entrainment of stellar mass loss is the primary cause of dissipation .
Using over 260 ks of new and archival Chandra /ACIS data , we have constrained the temperature , density and pressure distributions of gas in the central regions of the host galaxy of Centaurus A , and so the pressure throughout the length of its jet .
The model is constrained by the observed profiles of pressure and jet width , and conserves matter and energy , enabling us to estimate jet velocities , and hence all the other flow properties .
Invoking realistic stellar populations within the jet , we find that the increase in its momentum flux exceeds the net pressure force on the jet unless only about one half of the total stellar mass loss is entrained .
For self-consistent models , the bulk speed only falls modestly , from \sim 0.67 c to \sim 0.52 c over the range of 0.25 - 5.94 kpc from the nucleus .
The sonic Mach number varies between \sim 5.3 and 3.6 over this range .