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Magnetic fields in star formation

Authors: Klos, Katerina Sophia;

Magnetic fields in star formation

Abstract

The question ‘how do massive stars obtain their mass?’ has been a topic of much debate. Most high-mass stars form in young stellar clusters, under conditions distinct from low-mass star formation. The two dominant theories - Turbulent Core and Competitive Accretion - propose contrasting views: the former suggests a slow, quasi-static formation, while the latter invokes dynamic, accretion-driven growth. Neither fully explains observations of massive star-forming regions. This thesis investigates these models with the addition of magnetic fields, a fundamental component of molecular clouds. Magnetic fields inhibit collapse across field lines, shape cloud morphology, and may suppress fragmentation, which would facilitate the formation of high-mass prestellar cores. We simulate six magnetised molecular clumps spanning mass-to-flux ratios M/Φ = 3, 5, 10, 100, plus two purely hydrodynamical clouds for comparison: one virialised, one cold (T/U = 0.4). Using an in-house potential-based clump-finding algorithm, we identify prestellar cores and track their evolution. We find that all cores begin as low-mass `seeds' and grow via mergers and accretion, becoming bound near the thermal Jeans mass - independent of the initial field strength. Growth prior to collapse suggests a Competitive Accretion-like scenario, regulated by the magnetic field. The strength of the initial field modulates the nature of cloud collapse. Strong fields channel collapse along field-lines, whereas weaker fields initially collapse more spherically. These trends are reflected in the B–ρ^κ relation, with κ < 2/3 where fields dominate and κ ~ 2/3 in spherical collapse. These differences mean that by the time cores form, the field strength in the densest regions is comparable. Core morphological evolution confirms this: strong fields produce initially oblate cores evolving into prolate forms, while weaker fields favour filamentary/prolate structures from the outset, highlighting the field’s role in shaping both dynamics and morphology.

Country
United Kingdom
Related Organizations
Keywords

Astronomy, Star formation, Magnetic fields, Numerical simulations, Giant molecular clouds

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
Green
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