Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2007-09-18
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
45 pages,12 figures, Submitted to ApJ, For high resolution figures see http://www2.scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~machidam/protostar/
Scientific paper
10.1086/529133
Fragmentation and binary formation processes are studied using three-dimensional resistive MHD nested grid simulations. Starting with a Bonnor-Ebert isothermal cloud rotating in a uniform magnetic field, we calculate the cloud evolution from the molecular cloud core (n=10^4 cm^-3) to the stellar core (n \simeq 10^22 cm^-3). We calculated 147 models with different initial magnetic, rotational, and thermal energies, and the amplitudes of the non-axisymmetric perturbation. In a collapsing cloud, fragmentation is mainly controlled by the initial ratio of the rotational to the magnetic energy, regardless of the initial thermal energy and amplitude of the non-axisymmetric perturbation. When the clouds have large rotational energies in relation to magnetic energies, fragmentation occurs in the low-density evolution phase (10^12 cm^-3 < n < 10^15 cm^-3) with separations of 3-300 AU. Fragments that appeared in this phase are expected to evolve into wide binary systems. On the other hand, fragmentation does not occur in the low-density evolution phase, when initial clouds have large magnetic energies in relation to the rotational energies. In these clouds, fragmentation only occurs in the high-density evolution phase (n > 10^17 cm^-3) after the clouds experience significant reduction of the magnetic field owing to Ohmic dissipation in the period of 10^12 cm^-3 < n < 10^15 cm^-3. Fragments appearing in this phase have separations of < 0.3 AU, and are expected to evolve into close binary systems. As a result, we found two typical fragmentation epochs, which cause different stellar separations. Although these typical separations are disturbed in the subsequent gas accretion phase, we might be able to observe two peaks of binary separations in extremely young stellar groups.
Inutsuka Shu-ichiro
Machida Masahiro N.
Matsumoto Tomoaki
Tomisaka Kohji
No associations
LandOfFree
Formation Scenario for Wide and Close Binary Systems 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 Formation Scenario for Wide and Close Binary Systems, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Formation Scenario for Wide and Close Binary Systems will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-456230