The Origin of the Arches Stellar Cluster Mass Function

We investigate the time evolution of the mass distribution of pre-stellar cores (PSCs) and their transition to the initial stellar mass function (IMF) in the central parts of a molecular cloud (MC) under the assumption that the coalescence of cores is important. Our aim is to explain the observed shallow IMF in dense stellar clusters such as the Arches cluster. The initial distributions of PSCs at various distances from the MC center are those of gravitationally unstable cores resulting from the gravo-turbulent fragmentation of the MC. As time evolves, there is a competition between the PSCs rates of coalescence and collapse. Whenever the local rate of collapse is larger than the rate of coalescence in a given mass bin, cores are collapsed into stars. With appropriate parameters, we find that the coalescence-collapse model reproduces very well all the observed characteristics of the Arches stellar cluster IMF; Namely, the slopes at high and low mass ends and the peculiar bump observed at ~5-6 M_sol. Our results suggest that today's IMF of the Arches cluster is very similar to the primordial one and is prior to the dynamical effects of mass segregation becoming importantComment: 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted to MNRAS Letter

Cooling Flows of Self-Gravitating, Rotating, Viscous Systems

We obtain self-similar solutions that describe the dynamics of a self-gravitating, rotating, viscous system. We use simplifying assumptions; but explicitly include viscosity and the cooling due to the dissipation of energy. By assuming that the turbulent dissipation of energy is as power law of the density and the speed v_{rms} and for a power-law dependence of viscosity on the density, pressure, and rotational velocity, we investigate turbulent cooling flows. It has been shown that for the cylindrically and the spherically cooling flows the similarity indices are the same, and they depend only on the exponents of the dissipation rate and the viscosity model. Depending on the values of the exponents, which the mechanisms of the dissipation and viscosity determine them, we may have solutions with different general physical properties. The conservation of the total mass and the angular momentum of the system strongly depends on the mechanisms of energy dissipation and the viscosity model.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, To appear in ApJ (scheduled for the v574, July 20, 2002

Constraints on Star Formation from the Close Packing of Protostars in Clusters

The mm-wave continuum sources (MCS) in Ophiuchus have mutual collision rates less than their collapse rates by a factor of 10 to 100, suggesting most will form stars without further interactions. However, this ratio of rates would have exceeded unity in the past if the MCS were 2.5 times larger than they are now. Such a high previous ratio was not likely, suggesting that the MCS grew from smaller sizes at a constant high density, possible behind turbulent shocks. Proximity constraints are even more important in massive clusters, where massive stars with the same or greater space density are more strongly interacting than the Ophiuchus MCS. As a result, the density contrast for MCS must be larger in massive clusters than it is in Ophiuchus, or significant coalescence will occur in the protostellar phase, possible forming a massive black hole. A proportionality to the second power of the Mach number allows the MCS cores to collapse independently. These results suggest that stars in dense clusters generally form on a dynamical time by the continuous collection and rapid collapse of turbulence-shocked gas. Implications of proximity constraints on the initial stellar mass function are also discussed

The role of Hall diffusion in the magnetically threaded thin accretion discs

We study role of the Hall diffusion in the magnetic star-disc interaction. In a simplified steady state configuration, the total torque is calculated in terms of the fastness parameter and a new term because of the Hall diffusion. We show the total torque reduces as the Hall term becomes more significant. Also, the critical fastness parameter (at which the total torque is zero) reduces because of the Hall diffusion.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Thermal instability in ionized plasma

We study magnetothermal instability in the ionized plasmas including the effects of Ohmic, ambipolar and Hall diffusion. Magnetic field in the single fluid approximation does not allow transverse thermal condensations, however, non-ideal effects highly diminish the stabilizing role of the magnetic field in thermally unstable plasmas. Therefore, enhanced growth rate of thermal condensation modes in the presence of the diffusion mechanisms speed up the rate of structure formation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Vertically Self-Gravitating ADAFs in the Presence of Toroidal Magnetic Field

Force due to the self-gravity of the disc in the vertical direction is considered to study its possible effects on the structure of a magnetized advection-dominated accretion disc. We present steady-sate self similar solutions for the dynamical structure of such a type of the accretion flows. Our solutions imply reduced thickness of the disc because of the self-gravity. It also imply that the thickness of the disc will increase by adding the magnetic field strength.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Science

Formation and Collapse of Quiescent Cloud Cores Induced by Dynamic Compressions

(Abridged) We present numerical hydrodynamical simulations of the formation, evolution and gravitational collapse of isothermal molecular cloud cores. A compressive wave is set up in a constant sub-Jeans density distribution of radius r = 1 pc. As the wave travels through the simulation grid, a shock-bounded spherical shell is formed. The inner shock of this shell reaches and bounces off the center, leaving behind a central core with an initially almost uniform density distribution, surrounded by an envelope consisting of the material in the shock-bounded shell, with a power-law density profile that at late times approaches a logarithmic slope of -2 even in non-collapsing cases. The resulting density structure resembles a quiescent core of radius < 0.1 pc, with a Bonnor-Ebert-like (BE-like) profile, although it has significant dynamical differences: it is initially non-self-gravitating and confined by the ram pressure of the infalling material, and consequently, growing continuously in mass and size. With the appropriate parameters, the core mass eventually reaches an effective Jeans mass, at which time the core begins to collapse. Thus, there is necessarily a time delay between the appearance of the core and the onset of its collapse, but this is not due to the dissipation of its internal turbulence as it is often believed. These results suggest that pre-stellar cores may approximate Bonnor-Ebert structures which are however of variable mass and may or may not experience gravitational collapse, in qualitative agreement with the large observed frequency of cores with BE-like profiles.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Associated mpeg files can be found in http://www.astrosmo.unam.mx/~g.gomez/publica.htm