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Filamentary flow and magnetic geometry in evolving cluster-forming molecular cloud clumps.

Authors :
Klassen, Mikhail
Pudritz, Ralph E.
Kirk, Helen
Source :
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society; 2/21/2017, Vol. 465 Issue 2, p2254-2276, 23p
Publication Year :
2017

Abstract

We present an analysis of the relationship between the orientation of magnetic fields and filaments that form in 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations of cluster-forming, turbulent molecular cloud clumps. We examine simulated cloud clumps with size scales of L ~ 2-4 pc and densities of n ~ 400-1000 cm<superscript>-3</superscript> with Alfvén Mach numbers near unity. We simulated two cloud clumps of different masses, one in virial equilibrium, the other strongly gravitationally bound, butwith the same initial turbulent velocity field and similarmass-to-flux ratio. We apply various techniques to analyse the filamentary and magnetic structure of the resulting cloud, including the DISPERSE filament-finding algorithm in 3D. The largest structure that forms is a 1-2 parsec-long filament, with smaller connecting sub-filaments. We find that our simulated clouds, wherein magnetic forces and turbulence are comparable, coherent orientation of the magnetic field depends on the virial parameter. Sub-virial clumps undergo strong gravitational collapse and magnetic field lines are dragged with the accretion flow. We see evidence of filament-aligned flow and accretion flow on to the filament in the sub-virial cloud. Magnetic fields oriented more parallel in the sub-virial cloud and more perpendicular in the denser, marginally bound cloud. Radiative feedback from a 16 M<subscript>⊙</subscript> star forming in a cluster in one of our simulation's ultimately results in the destruction of the main filament, the formation of an H II region, and the sweeping up of magnetic fields within an expanding shell at the edges of the H II region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00358711
Volume :
465
Issue :
2
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
120478689
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw2889