19 research outputs found
The influence of cosmic-rays on the magnetorotational instability
We present a linear perturbation analysis of the magnetorotational
instability in the presence of the cosmic rays. Dynamical effects of the cosmic
rays are considered by a fluid description and the diffusion of cosmic rays is
only along the magnetic field lines. We show an enhancement in the growth rate
of the unstable mode because of the existence of cosmic rays. But as the
diffusion of cosmic rays increases, we see that the growth rate decreases.
Thus, cosmic rays have a destabilizing role in the magnetorotational
instability of the accretion discs.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc
Interstellar MHD Turbulence and Star Formation
This chapter reviews the nature of turbulence in the Galactic interstellar
medium (ISM) and its connections to the star formation (SF) process. The ISM is
turbulent, magnetized, self-gravitating, and is subject to heating and cooling
processes that control its thermodynamic behavior. The turbulence in the warm
and hot ionized components of the ISM appears to be trans- or subsonic, and
thus to behave nearly incompressibly. However, the neutral warm and cold
components are highly compressible, as a consequence of both thermal
instability in the atomic gas and of moderately-to-strongly supersonic motions
in the roughly isothermal cold atomic and molecular components. Within this
context, we discuss: i) the production and statistical distribution of
turbulent density fluctuations in both isothermal and polytropic media; ii) the
nature of the clumps produced by thermal instability, noting that, contrary to
classical ideas, they in general accrete mass from their environment; iii) the
density-magnetic field correlation (or lack thereof) in turbulent density
fluctuations, as a consequence of the superposition of the different wave modes
in the turbulent flow; iv) the evolution of the mass-to-magnetic flux ratio
(MFR) in density fluctuations as they are built up by dynamic compressions; v)
the formation of cold, dense clouds aided by thermal instability; vi) the
expectation that star-forming molecular clouds are likely to be undergoing
global gravitational contraction, rather than being near equilibrium, and vii)
the regulation of the star formation rate (SFR) in such gravitationally
contracting clouds by stellar feedback which, rather than keeping the clouds
from collapsing, evaporates and diperses them while they collapse.Comment: 43 pages. Invited chapter for the book "Magnetic Fields in Diffuse
Media", edited by Elisabete de Gouveia dal Pino and Alex Lazarian. Revised as
per referee's recommendation
Gravitational Collapse and Disk Formation in Magnetized Cores
We discuss the effects of the magnetic field observed in molecular clouds on
the process of star formation, concentrating on the phase of gravitational
collapse of low-mass dense cores, cradles of sunlike stars. We summarize recent
analytic work and numerical simulations showing that a substantial level of
magnetic field diffusion at high densities has to occur in order to form
rotationally supported disks. Furthermore, newly formed accretion disks are
threaded by the magnetic field dragged from the parent core during the
gravitational collapse. These disks are expected to rotate with a sub-Keplerian
speed because they are partially supported by magnetic tension against the
gravity of the central star. We discuss how sub-Keplerian rotation makes it
difficult to eject disk winds and accelerates the process of planet migration.
Moreover, magnetic fields modify the Toomre criterion for gravitational
instability via two opposing effects: magnetic tension and pressure increase
the disk local stability, but sub-Keplerian rotation makes the disk more
unstable. In general, magnetized disks are more stable than their nonmagnetic
counterparts; thus, they can be more massive and less prone to the formation of
giant planets by gravitational instability.Comment: Chapter 16 in "Magnetic Fields in Diffuse Media", Springer-Verlag,
eds. de Gouveia Dal Pino, E., Lazarian, A., Melioli,
Studies of Dense Cores with ALMA
Dense cores are the simplest star-forming sites that we know, but despite
their simplicity, they still hold a number of mysteries that limit our
understanding of how solar-type stars form. ALMA promises to revolutionize our
knowledge of every stage in the life of a core, from the pre-stellar phase to
the final disruption by the newly born star. This contribution presents a brief
review of the evolution of dense cores and illustrates particular questions
that will greatly benefit from the increase in resolution and sensitivity
expected from ALMAComment: 6 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Astrophysics and Space Science,
special issue of "Science with ALMA: a new era for Astrophysics" conference,
ed. Dr. Bachille
Physical Processes in Star Formation
© 2020 Springer-Verlag. The final publication is available at Springer via https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00693-8.Star formation is a complex multi-scale phenomenon that is of significant importance for astrophysics in general. Stars and star formation are key pillars in observational astronomy from local star forming regions in the Milky Way up to high-redshift galaxies. From a theoretical perspective, star formation and feedback processes (radiation, winds, and supernovae) play a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of the physical processes at work, both individually and of their interactions. In this review we will give an overview of the main processes that are important for the understanding of star formation. We start with an observationally motivated view on star formation from a global perspective and outline the general paradigm of the life-cycle of molecular clouds, in which star formation is the key process to close the cycle. After that we focus on the thermal and chemical aspects in star forming regions, discuss turbulence and magnetic fields as well as gravitational forces. Finally, we review the most important stellar feedback mechanisms.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio
The Origin, Early Evolution and Predictability of Solar Eruptions
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were discovered in the early 1970s when space-borne coronagraphs revealed that eruptions of plasma are ejected from the Sun. Today, it is known that the Sun produces eruptive flares, filament eruptions, coronal mass ejections and failed eruptions; all thought to be due to a release of energy stored in the coronal magnetic field during its drastic reconfiguration. This review discusses the observations and physical mechanisms behind this eruptive activity, with a view to making an assessment of the current capability of forecasting these events for space weather risk and impact mitigation. Whilst a wealth of observations exist, and detailed models have been developed, there still exists a need to draw these approaches together. In particular more realistic models are encouraged in order to asses the full range of complexity of the solar atmosphere and the criteria for which an eruption is formed. From the observational side, a more detailed understanding of the role of photospheric flows and reconnection is needed in order to identify the evolutionary path that ultimately means a magnetic structure will erupt