Feedback driven by jets from active galactic nuclei is believed to be
responsible for reducing cooling flows in cool-core galaxy clusters. We use
simulations to model feedback from hydrodynamic jets in isolated halos. While
the jet propagation converges only after the diameter of the jet is well
resolved, reliable predictions about the effects these jets have on the cooling
time distribution function only require resolutions sufficient to keep the
jet-inflated cavities stable. Comparing different model variations, as well as
an independent jet model using a different hydrodynamics code, we show that the
dominant uncertainties are the choices of jet properties within a given model.
Independent of implementation, we find that light, thermal jets with low
momentum flux tend to delay the onset of a cooling flow more efficiently on a
50 Myr timescale than heavy, kinetic jets. The delay of the cooling flow
originates from a displacement and boost in entropy of the central gas. If the
jet luminosity depends on accretion rate, collimated, light, hydrodynamic jets
are able to reduce cooling flows in halos, without a need for jet precession or
wide opening angles. Comparing the jet feedback with a `kinetic wind'
implementation shows that equal amounts of star formation rate reduction can be
achieved by different interactions with the halo gas: the jet has a larger
effect on the hot halo gas while leaving the denser, star forming phase in
place, while the wind acts more locally on the star forming phase, which
manifests itself in different time-variability properties.Comment: 21 pages, 20 figures, submitted to MNRAS, comments welcom