GROWTH OF DUST GRAINS IN A LOW-METALLICITY GAS AND ITS EFFECT ON THE CLOUD FRAGMENTATION
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)
- Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), Todai Institutes for Advanced Study, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583 (Japan)
In a low-metallicity gas, rapid cooling by dust thermal emission is considered to induce cloud fragmentation and play a vital role in the formation of low-mass stars ({approx}< 1 M{sub Sun }) in metal-poor environments. We investigate how the growth of dust grains through accretion of heavy elements in the gas phase onto grain surfaces alters the thermal evolution and fragmentation properties of a collapsing gas cloud. We directly calculate grain growth and dust emission cooling in a self-consistent manner. We show that MgSiO{sub 3} grains grow sufficiently at gas densities n{sub H} = 10{sup 10}, 10{sup 12}, and 10{sup 14} cm{sup -3} for metallicities Z = 10{sup -4}, 10{sup -5}, and 10{sup -6} Z{sub Sun }, respectively, where the cooling of the collapsing gas cloud is enhanced. The condition for efficient dust cooling is insensitive to the initial condensation factor of pre-existing grains within the realistic range of 0.001-0.1, but sensitive to metallicity. The critical metallicity is Z{sub crit} {approx} 10{sup -5.5} Z{sub Sun} for the initial grain radius r{sub MgSiO{sub 3,0}}{approx}<0.01 {mu}m and Z{sub crit} {approx} 10{sup -4.5} Z{sub Sun} for r{sub MgSiO{sub 3,0}}{approx}>0.1 {mu}m. The formation of a recently discovered low-mass star with extremely low metallicity ({<=}4.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5} Z{sub Sun }) could have been triggered by grain growth.
- OSTI ID:
- 22130877
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 765, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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