  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 ~0.67c to
~0.52c over the range of 0.25-5.94 kpc from the nucleus. The sonic Mach number
varies between ~5.3 and 3.6 over this range.

Astrophysics of Galaxies;High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena