Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Oct 1996
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996apj...469..719n&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal v.469, p.719
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
3
Ism: Clouds, Magnetohydrodynamics: Mhd, Stars: Formation
Scientific paper
We present a simple model that describes the reconnection process for a collection of magnetic flux loops in an astrophysical system. We derive and solve the master kinetic equations for reconnecting flux loops in a plasma with β ≤ 1 (where β is the ratio of the gas pressure to the magnetic field pressure). The solution is a similarity solution for the distribution, N(Φ,M,t) , of flux loops as a function of magnetic flux Φ, mass M, and time t, and it is given by
N(Φ, M, t) ˜t-1Φ-2M-1,
where the power-law indices are determined by the cross-sectional interaction and the physics of the flux loops. We discuss applications to star formation. In particular, we find that this reconnection process can lower the flux-to-mass ratio in portions of the system and can thereby provide sites for massive star formation. In addition, kinetic models such as those considered here may provide a means of calculating the distribution of clump masses (and fluxes) within molecular clouds.
Adams Fred C.
Cowley Stan
Norman Colin A.
Sudan R. N.
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