1. The JCMT BISTRO Survey: the magnetized evolution of star-forming cores in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud interpreted using histograms of relative orientation.
- Author
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Perry, James P, Pattle, Kate, Johnstone, Doug, Kwon, Woojin, Bourke, Tyler L, Chung, Eun Jung, Coudé, Simon, Doi, Yasuo, Fanciullo, Lapo, Hwang, Jihye, Khan, Zacariyya A, Kwon, Jungmi, Lai, Shih-Ping, Le Gouellec, Valentin J M, Lee, Chang Won, Ohashi, Nagayoshi, Sadavoy, Sarah, Savini, Giorgio, Sharma, Ekta, and Tamura, Motohide
- Subjects
MOLECULAR clouds ,STAR formation ,MOLECULAR structure ,TWO-dimensional models ,MAGNETIC fields - Abstract
The relationship between B-field orientation and density structure in molecular clouds is often assessed using the histogram of relative orientations (HRO). We perform a plane-of-the-sky geometrical analysis of projected B-fields, by interpreting HROs in dense, spheroidal, pre-stellar, and protostellar cores. We use James Clerk Maxwell Telescope POL-2 850 |$\mu$| m polarization maps and Herschel column density maps to study dense cores in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud complex. We construct two-dimensional core models, assuming Plummer column density profiles and modelling both linear and hourglass B-fields. We find that high-aspect ratio ellipsoidal cores produce strong HRO signals, as measured using the shape parameter |$\xi$|. Cores with linear fields oriented |$<\!\! 45 ^{\circ }$| from their minor axis produce constant HROs with |$-1 \lt \xi \lt 0$| , indicating that fields are preferentially parallel to column density gradients. Fields parallel to the core minor axis produce the most negative value of |$\xi$|. For low-aspect ratio cores, |$\xi \approx 0$| for linear fields. Hourglass fields produce a minimum in |$\xi$| at intermediate densities in all cases, converging to the minor-axis-parallel linear field value at high and low column densities. We create HROs for six dense cores in Ophiuchus. |$\rho$| Oph A and IRAS 16293 have high aspect ratios and preferentially negative HROs, consistent with moderately strong field behaviour. |$\rho$| Oph C, L1689A, and L1689B have low aspect ratios, and |$\xi \approx 0$|. |$\rho$| Oph B is too complex to be modelled using a simple spheroidal field geometry. We see no signature of hourglass fields, agreeing with previous findings that dense cores generally exhibit linear fields on these size scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2025
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