Two-fluid ambipolar diffusion for molecular clouds with realistic heating and cooling

Details Two-fluid ambipolar diffusion for molecular clouds with realistic heating and cooling Two-fluid ambipolar diffusion for molecular clouds with realistic heating and cooling

Aug 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011mnras.415.3681t&link_type=abstract

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 415, Issue 4, pp. 3681-3692.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

1

Diffusion, Mhd, Waves, Stars: Formation, Ism: Clouds

Scientific paper

Molecular clouds are composed of a mix of ions and neutral gas, which interact differently with magnetic fields. We present a thorough analysis of the eigenstructure of the system of equations that describe the evolution of both ions and neutrals in the presence of a magnetic field, and with a physically motivated equation of state with heating and cooling. We show that the wave structure of the two-fluid equations with an adiabatic equation of state parallels that of the isothermal system. In particular, the same wave families exist in both isothermal and adiabatic systems, and the scales on which the waves are dissipated are unchanged. For typical molecular cloud parameters, the gravitational collapse is carried by the slow wave, just as it was in the isothermal case. There are, however, several interesting points of difference as well. In particular, the presence of cooling and radiative effects reduces the Jeans scale and furthermore increases the damping rates and reduces the phase velocity of several families of waves near the Jeans scale. The magnetohydrodynamic waves can re-emerge on scales significantly smaller than the ambipolar dissipation scale, as the neutrals and ions become completely decoupled from each other. This allows for the possibility of extremely small scale turbulence and thus lends plausibility to the idea that a small-scale dynamo can be sustained on scales smaller than the ambipolar diffusion scale.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Two-fluid ambipolar diffusion for molecular clouds with realistic heating and cooling 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 Two-fluid ambipolar diffusion for molecular clouds with realistic heating and cooling, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Two-fluid ambipolar diffusion for molecular clouds with realistic heating and cooling will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1658666