Magnetic flux loss from interstellar clouds with various grain-size distributions

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/169682· OSTI ID:5867641

Nishi, Ryoichi; Nakano, Takenori; Umebayashi, Toyoharu ^[1]

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1. Kyoto Univ. (Japan) Nobeyama Radio Observatory, Minamimaki (Japan) Yamagata Univ. (Japan)

The densities of charged particles and the dissipation of magnetic fields in interstellar clouds shielded from UV radiation and having densities between 1000 and 10 to the 13th/cu cm are investigated. The effect of the electric polarization of the gains on collision with ions and electrons is taken into account, and different models for the grain size distribution are used. It is found that the metal ions are not the major constitutents among the charged particles due to their ability to recombine efficiently on grain surfaces. In a cloud where the magnetic field strength is nearly equal to the critical field with which the magnetic force balances self-gravity, the magnetic flux loss time is shorter than the free-fall time only if the density is greater than the critical density, which is given for the different models. In all cases the magnetic field is strongly coupled to the gas and the magnetic flux of the cloud cannot decrease far below the critical flux. 36 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5867641
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Vol. 368; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
COSMIC GASES
CHARGED PARTICLES
COLLISIONS
COSMIC DUST
ELEMENT ABUNDANCE
GRAIN SIZE
INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELDS
IONS
MAGNETIC FLUX
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MOLECULES
STAR EVOLUTION
ABUNDANCE
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DUSTS
FLUIDS
GASES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MICROSTRUCTURE
SIZE
SPACE
640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies