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Interstellar clouds and the formation of stars

Abstract

Part I gives a survey of the drastic revision of cosmic plasma physics which is precipitated by the exploration of the magnetosphere through in situ measurements. The 'pseudo-plasma formalism', which until now has almost completely dominated theoretical astrophysics, must be replaced by an experimentally based approach involving the introduction of a number of neglected plasma phenomena, such as electric double layers, critical velocity, and pinch effect. The general belief that star light is the main ionizer is shown to be doubtful; hydromagnetic conversion of gravitational and kinetic energy may often be much more important. In Part II the revised plasma physics is applied to dark clouds and star formation. Magnetic fields do not necessarily counteract the contraction of a cloud; they may just as well 'pinch' the cloud. Magnetic compression may be the main mechanism for forming interstellar clouds and keeping them together. Part III treats the formation of stars in a dusty cosmic plasma cloud. Star formation is due to an instability, but it is very unlikely that it has anything to do with the Jeans instability. A reasonable mechanism is that the sedimentation of 'dust' (including solid bodies of different size) is triggering off a gravitationally assisted accretion.  More>>
Authors:
Alfven, H; Carlqvist, P [1] 
  1. Kungliga Tekniska Hoegskolan, Stockholm (Sweden). Institutionen foer Plasmafysik
Publication Date:
May 01, 1978
Product Type:
Journal Article
Reference Number:
AIX-09-413077; EDB-79-065546
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: Astrophys. Space Sci.; (Netherlands); Journal Volume: 55:2
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; INTERSTELLAR SPACE; COSMIC DUST; CRITICAL VELOCITY; ENERGY TRANSFER; FORCE-FREE MAGNETIC FIELDS; GRAVITATIONAL FIELDS; KINETIC ENERGY; PINCH EFFECT; SOLAR SYSTEM EVOLUTION; STAR EVOLUTION; TURBULENCE; DUSTS; ENERGY; MAGNETIC FIELDS; SPACE; VELOCITY; 640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies
OSTI ID:
6367159
Country of Origin:
Netherlands
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: CODEN: APSSB
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
Pages: 487-509
Announcement Date:
Jan 01, 1979

Citation Formats

Alfven, H, and Carlqvist, P. Interstellar clouds and the formation of stars. Netherlands: N. p., 1978. Web. doi:10.1007/BF00642272.
Alfven, H, & Carlqvist, P. Interstellar clouds and the formation of stars. Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00642272
Alfven, H, and Carlqvist, P. 1978. "Interstellar clouds and the formation of stars." Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00642272.
@misc{etde_6367159,
title = {Interstellar clouds and the formation of stars}
author = {Alfven, H, and Carlqvist, P}
abstractNote = {Part I gives a survey of the drastic revision of cosmic plasma physics which is precipitated by the exploration of the magnetosphere through in situ measurements. The 'pseudo-plasma formalism', which until now has almost completely dominated theoretical astrophysics, must be replaced by an experimentally based approach involving the introduction of a number of neglected plasma phenomena, such as electric double layers, critical velocity, and pinch effect. The general belief that star light is the main ionizer is shown to be doubtful; hydromagnetic conversion of gravitational and kinetic energy may often be much more important. In Part II the revised plasma physics is applied to dark clouds and star formation. Magnetic fields do not necessarily counteract the contraction of a cloud; they may just as well 'pinch' the cloud. Magnetic compression may be the main mechanism for forming interstellar clouds and keeping them together. Part III treats the formation of stars in a dusty cosmic plasma cloud. Star formation is due to an instability, but it is very unlikely that it has anything to do with the Jeans instability. A reasonable mechanism is that the sedimentation of 'dust' (including solid bodies of different size) is triggering off a gravitationally assisted accretion. A 'stellesimal' accretion analogous to the planetesimal accretion leads to the formation of a star surrounded by a very low density hollow in the cloud. Matter falling in from the cloud towards the star is the raw material for the formation of planets and satellites.}
doi = {10.1007/BF00642272}
journal = []
volume = {55:2}
journal type = {AC}
place = {Netherlands}
year = {1978}
month = {May}
}