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Title: THE EARLY HISTORY OF PROTOSTELLAR DISKS, OUTFLOWS, AND BINARY STARS

Abstract

In star formation, magnetic fields act as a cosmic angular momentum extractor that increases mass accretion rates onto protostars and, in the process, creates spectacular outflows. However, recently it has been argued that this magnetic brake is so strong that early protostellar disks-the cradles of planet formation-cannot form. Our three-dimensional numerical simulations of the early stages of collapse (approx<10{sup 5} yr) of overdense star-forming clouds form early outflows and have magnetically regulated and rotationally dominated disks (inside 10 AU) with high accretion rates, despite the slip of the field through the mostly neutral gas. We find that in three dimensions magnetic fields suppress gravitationally driven instabilities that would otherwise prevent young, well-ordered disks from forming. Our simulations have surprising consequences for the early formation of disks, their density and temperature structure, the mechanism and structure of early outflows, the flash heating of dust grains through ambipolar diffusion, and the origin of planets and binary stars.

Authors:
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21378215
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal (Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 706; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/706/1/L46; Journal ID: ISSN 1538-4357
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; AMBIPOLAR DIFFUSION; ANGULAR MOMENTUM; BINARY STARS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DENSITY; DUSTS; FLASH HEATING; MAGNETIC FIELDS; MASS; MATTER; PLANETS; PROTOSTARS; THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; DIFFUSION; HEATING; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; SIMULATION; STARS

Citation Formats

Duffin, Dennis F, and Pudritz, Ralph E., E-mail: duffindf@mcmaster.c, E-mail: pudritz@physics.mcmaster.c. THE EARLY HISTORY OF PROTOSTELLAR DISKS, OUTFLOWS, AND BINARY STARS. United States: N. p., 2009. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/706/1/L46.
Duffin, Dennis F, & Pudritz, Ralph E., E-mail: duffindf@mcmaster.c, E-mail: pudritz@physics.mcmaster.c. THE EARLY HISTORY OF PROTOSTELLAR DISKS, OUTFLOWS, AND BINARY STARS. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/706/1/L46
Duffin, Dennis F, and Pudritz, Ralph E., E-mail: duffindf@mcmaster.c, E-mail: pudritz@physics.mcmaster.c. 2009. "THE EARLY HISTORY OF PROTOSTELLAR DISKS, OUTFLOWS, AND BINARY STARS". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/706/1/L46.
@article{osti_21378215,
title = {THE EARLY HISTORY OF PROTOSTELLAR DISKS, OUTFLOWS, AND BINARY STARS},
author = {Duffin, Dennis F and Pudritz, Ralph E., E-mail: duffindf@mcmaster.c, E-mail: pudritz@physics.mcmaster.c},
abstractNote = {In star formation, magnetic fields act as a cosmic angular momentum extractor that increases mass accretion rates onto protostars and, in the process, creates spectacular outflows. However, recently it has been argued that this magnetic brake is so strong that early protostellar disks-the cradles of planet formation-cannot form. Our three-dimensional numerical simulations of the early stages of collapse (approx<10{sup 5} yr) of overdense star-forming clouds form early outflows and have magnetically regulated and rotationally dominated disks (inside 10 AU) with high accretion rates, despite the slip of the field through the mostly neutral gas. We find that in three dimensions magnetic fields suppress gravitationally driven instabilities that would otherwise prevent young, well-ordered disks from forming. Our simulations have surprising consequences for the early formation of disks, their density and temperature structure, the mechanism and structure of early outflows, the flash heating of dust grains through ambipolar diffusion, and the origin of planets and binary stars.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/706/1/L46},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21378215}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal (Online)},
issn = {1538-4357},
number = 1,
volume = 706,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Nov 20 00:00:00 EST 2009},
month = {Fri Nov 20 00:00:00 EST 2009}
}