Interstellar Medium Exam

Collapse, outflows and fragmentation of massive,

turbulent and
magnetized prestellar barotropic cores.
Hennebelle et al. 2011

Student: Anand Utsav Kapoor

 The objective of the paper

Massive prestellar core fragmentation models have been

over-predicting the number of objects observed in such
systems .The key objective of this paper was to investigate
which physical processes could reduce fragmentation
substantially.
A correct fragmentation model would lead to a better
prediction of the mass distribution of stars: which is
extremely important for galaxy formation models.

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Context of the paper
Context : A simulation highlighting the key ingredients
of the paper

50 solar mass cloud. From: Inefficient star formation: The combined effects 4
of magnetic fields and radiative feedback. Price and Bate 2009.
 Context: Main takeaways from the
video
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Pure hydrodynamic collapse vs. that in the presence of the magnetic field.
●
Turbulent Filament formation aiding the collapse: Non Gaussian dissipation, but
small scale resolution ?
●
Magnetic pressure reduces the rate at which stars form by stopping the gas from
collapsing under its own gravity, hence, a less vigorous star formation
●
Lesser Fragmentation as the magnetic field is increased, hence fewer low massed
object (brown dwarfs). This leads to a better agreement with observations.
●
This simulation also includes radiative protostellar feedback, which is not a part of
the paper being discussed.

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 Context: Fragmentation

●
Initial fragmentation of the cloud due
to turbulence (The simulation video
had initial conditions with T.K.E
around 50% Gravitational energy)
●
Fragmentation of the disc: When the
initial gas cloud is rotating.
●
In the case of hydrodynamic
simulations, the unstable modes are
rotation dependent (shown* for an
initially rigidly rotating disc).

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*Taken from FRAGMENTATION OF A MOLECULAR CLOUD CORE VERSUS FRAGMENTATION OF THE MASSIVE PROTOPLANETARY DISK IN
THE MAIN ACCRETION PHASE, Matsumoto et al. 2003.
 Context: Outflows
●
A manifestation of the magnetic field
lines having memory i.e the so called
“frozen field lines” effect.
●
The differential rotation of the disk
could quickly amplify the poloidal field

●
The churning of the field lines due to
rotation leads to the transformation of
rotational energy to magnetic energy.
●
Eventual release of this energy, this
also carries away some angular
momentum along with it.

Taken from MAGNETO-HYDRODYNAMICAL ACCRETION FLOWS: FORMATION OF MAGNETIC TOWER JET AND SUBSEQUENT QUASI-STEADY
STATE, Kato et al. 2003. 7
 Context: Magnetic Braking
●
The magnetic field is intensified inside the
collapsing cloud and the tend to “fan out” as
shown in the figure*.
●
The Alfven waves move mass out from the core
along the field lines.
●
Since the radius of the mass moving out increases,
angular momentum must be transferred out of the
core.
●
Magnetic braking could suppress the
fragmentation modes in a disk or halt disk
formation altogether
.

* taken from: Protostellar disk formation and transport of angular momentum during magnetized core collapse, Joos et al. 2011. 8
Method and Results
 Method and initial conditions
●
The collapse of hundred solar masses cores.
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Density profile: ρ(r) = ρEc/(1 + (r/r0 )^2). A density contrast of 10 between the center (ρEc) and the
central density and the edge density, ρEe . Outside the cloud: ρEe/10 in pressure equilibrium with the
cloud edge is set up. The peak density is initially equal to 6.6 × 10^3 cm−3
●
The size of the core is initially equal to 1.35 pc.
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The temperature within the dense core is initially equal to 10 K.
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A barotropic equation of state is used to mimic the optically thick regime, temperature given by T = T0
(1 + (ρ/ρEc)^Γ ), where Γ = 7/5.
●
The cloud is initially threaded by a magnetic field along the x-axis, whose intensity is proportional to
the column density through the cloud.
●
The initial degree of magnetization is determined by the parameter μ, the mass-to-flux over critical
mass-to-flux ratio equal to μ = (M/φ)/(MEcrit /φ), where MEcrit /φ = c1/((3π)((5/G)^1/2)).)((5/G)^1/2)).
●
The turbulent energy (Kolmogorov’s spectra ) is initially equal to about 20% of the gravitational energy.
●
RAMSES for MHD , an adaptive mesh refining code using Gudonov scheme (Finite volume like
conservative scheme) has been used.
●
Only the first collapse is considered.

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 Cloud density comparison:
Evolution

Left column is from a higher resolution simulation (2 A.U) while the one on the right is from a lower resolution one (8 A.U).
Total mass above various density thresholds in the simulations as a function of time.
Solid lines >=density of 10^3 cm−3, Dot-dashed >= 10^9 cm−3
Dotted lines >= 10^5 cm−3 Triple dot-dashed >= 10^11 cm−3
Dashed >= 10^7 cm−3
Long-dashed >= 10^13 cm−3
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The cloud’s initial mass was 100 solar masses..
 Cloud density comparison:
Instantaneous

●
Left: μ = 120 , an extremely low magnetic field leads to multiple nuclei (compare with
the hydrodynamic simulation), right: μ = 5, single structure formation.
●
A parameter for the comparison could be the modified Jean’s length:

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 Specific angular momentum:
Evolution

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Similar to the mass evolution plots (density threshold and resolution based)
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Specific angular momentum defined using peak cloud density position as origin.
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The effect of decreasing the value of μ (increasing flux) and braking is visible.
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Lower resolution gives quite different results for μ= 2. 13
The magnetic field: Evolution

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Density based plots (like previously)
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The magnetic intensity increases with
the density.
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The magnetic intensity is quite
close for both the μ values at higher
densities because the gas tends to
flow preferentially along the field
lines.
●
The reason being that in the weak
field case, one expects a nearly
spherical contraction that leads to B
∝ρ^2/3, while a ρ^2/3, while a B ∝ρ^2/3, while a ρ^1/2 when
the field is stronger .

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 Outflows: Weak initial magnetic field

●
Zoom in at the density peak location in the y-z plane (magnetic field is in the x
direction)
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The magnetic field is strongly amplified during the collapse
●
The magnetic field is rapidly twisted by the rotation and the magnetic pressure
gradient efficiently accelerates the flow.
●
The weak collimation and the strong asymmetry are probably consequences of the
weakness of the initial magnetic intensity. 15
 Outflows: Strong initial magnetic field

●
Zoom in at the density peak location in the y-z plane (magnetic field is in the x
direction, μ=5 )
●
Outflows are not very strong, possibly because the braking has removed the angular
momentum already.
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Fragmentation: μ=120

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Fragmentation: μ=2

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 Fragmentation
●
There is a stark decrease in the number of
objects formed in the case of strong magnetic
field.
●
The role of turbulence: Large perturbations
can lead to fragmentation even when the
magnetic field is relatively strong, but it is
effective in quenching rationally driven
fragmentation (slide 5)
●
Numerical diffusion in the codes leads to the
loss of magnetic field and hence higher
fragmentation, the low resolution case for
μ=2 shows this.

The columns compare the results at different resolutions, left being

finer.

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Discussion
 Discussion
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The analysis provided doesn’t include stellar feedback.
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Non convergence of the results and numerical diffusion.
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The paper talks about numerical diffusion’s importance in the case of
magnetic field, but could it mean higher dissipation for turbulence and
hence more initial fragmentation?
●
Turbulence: Small scale resolution ?
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A need to know initial conditions properly.
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The “friend of friend” method: could it be changing results?
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Magnetic braking: The transfer of angular momentum at Alfven speed?

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Thank you for your attention

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