Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2007-01-17
Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.377:535-544,2007
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
12 pages, 9 figures, accepted by MNRAS
Scientific paper
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11515.x
In this paper, we examine numerically the difference between triggered and revealed star formation. We present Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of the impact on a turbulent 10^4 solar-mass molecular cloud of irradiation by an external source of ionising photons. In particular, using a control model, we investigate the triggering of star formation within the cloud. We find that, although feedback has a dramatic effect on the morphology of our model cloud, its impact on star formation is relatively minor. We show that external irradiation has both positive and negative effects, accelerating the formation of some objects, delaying the formation of others, and inducing the formation of some that would not otherwise have formed. Overall, the calculation in which feedback is included forms nearly twice as many objects over a period of \sim0.5 freefall times (\sim2.4 Myr), resulting in a star--formation efficiency approximately one third higher (\sim4% as opposed to \sim3% at this epoch) as in the control run in which feedback is absent. Unfortunately, there appear to be no observable characteristics which could be used to differentiate objects whose formation was triggered from those which were forming anyway and which were simply revealed by the effects of radiation, although this could be an effect of poor statistics.
Bonnell] I. A.
Clark Paul C.
Dale James E.
No associations
LandOfFree
Ionisation-induced star formation II: External irradiation of a turbulent molecular cloud does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Ionisation-induced star formation II: External irradiation of a turbulent molecular cloud, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ionisation-induced star formation II: External irradiation of a turbulent molecular cloud will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-119701