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From Large-Scale Molecular Clouds To Filaments And Cores : Unveiling The Role Of The Magnetic Fields In Star Formation, Sayantan Auddy
From Large-Scale Molecular Clouds To Filaments And Cores : Unveiling The Role Of The Magnetic Fields In Star Formation, Sayantan Auddy
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
I present a comprehensive study of the role of strong magnetic fields in characterizing the structure of molecular clouds. We run three-dimensional turbulent non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations (with ambipolar diffusion) to see the effect of magnetic fields on the evolution of the column density probability distribution function (PDF). Our results indicate a systematic dependence of the column density PDF of molecular clouds on magnetic field strength and turbulence, with observationally distinguishable outcomes between supercritical (gravity dominated) and subcritical (magnetic field dominated) initial conditions. We find that most cases develop a direct power-law PDF, and only the subcritical clouds with turbulence are …
Core Formation In Partially Ionized Magnetic Molecular Clouds, Nicole D. Bailey
Core Formation In Partially Ionized Magnetic Molecular Clouds, Nicole D. Bailey
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Linear analysis of the formation of protostellar cores in planar magnetic interstellar clouds shows that molecular clouds exhibit a preferred length scale for collapse that depends on the mass-to-flux ratio and neutral-ion collision time within the cloud. This linear analysis can be used to investigate the formation of star forming clusters and the distribution of mass within star forming regions. By combining the results of the linear analysis with a realistic ionization profile for the cloud, we find that a molecular cloud may evolve through two fragmentation events in the evolution toward the formation of stars. Our model suggests that …