18 research outputs found
High Resolution Study of Planetesimal Formation by Gravitational Collapse of Pebble Clouds
Planetary embryos are built through the collisional growth of 10-100 km sized
objects called planetesimals, a formerly large population of objects, of which
asteroids, comets and Kuiper-Belt objects represent the leftovers from planet
formation in our solar system. Here, we follow the paradigm that turbulence
created over-dense pebble clouds, which then collapse under their own
self-gravity. We use the multi-physics code GIZMO to model the pebble cloud
density as a continuum, with a polytropic equation of state to account for
collisional interactions and capturing the phase transition to a
quasi-incompressible solid object, i.e. a planetesimal in hydrostatic
equilibrium. Thus we study cloud collapse effectively at the resolution of the
forming planetesimals, allowing us to derive an initial mass function for
planetesimals in relation to the total pebble mass of the collapsing cloud. The
redistribution of angular momentum in the collapsing pebble cloud is the main
mechanism leading to multiple fragmentation. The angular momentum of the pebble
cloud and thus the centrifugal radius increases with distance to the sun, but
the solid size of the forming planetesimals is constant. Therefore we find that
with increasing distance to the sun, the number of forming planetesimals per
pebble cloud increases. For all distances the formation of binaries occurs
within higher hierarchical systems. The size distribution is top heavy and can
be described with a Gaussian distribution of planetesimal mass. For the
asteroid belt, we can infer a most likely size of 125 km, all stemming from
pebble clouds of equivalent size 152 km.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Radiation shielding of protoplanetary discs in young star-forming regions
Protoplanetary discs spend their lives in the dense environment of a star
forming region. While there, they can be affected by nearby stars through
external photoevaporation and dynamic truncations. We present simulations that
use the AMUSE framework to couple the Torch model for star cluster formation
from a molecular cloud with a model for the evolution of protoplanetary discs
under these two environmental processes. We compare simulations with and
without extinction of photoevaporation-driving radiation. We find that the
majority of discs in our simulations are considerably shielded from
photoevaporation-driving radiation for at least 0.5 Myr after the formation of
the first massive stars. Radiation shielding increases disc lifetimes by an
order of magnitude and can let a disc retain more solid material for planet
formation. The reduction in external photoevaporation leaves discs larger and
more easily dynamically truncated, although external photoevaporation remains
the dominant mass loss process. Finally, we find that the correlation between
disc mass and projected distance to the most massive nearby star (often
interpreted as a sign of external photoevaporation) can be erased by the
presence of less massive stars that dominate their local radiation field.
Overall, we find that the presence and dynamics of gas in embedded clusters
with massive stars is important for the evolution of protoplanetary discs.Comment: 23 pages, 22 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRA
Global management of a common, underrated surgical task during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gallstone disease. An international survery
Background: Since the Coronavirus disease-19(COVID-19) pandemic, the healthcare systems are reallocating their medical resources, with consequent narrowed access to elective surgery for benign conditions such as gallstone disease(GD). This survey represents an overview of the current policies regarding the surgical management of patients with GD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A Web-based survey was conducted among 36 Hepato-Prancreato-Biliary surgeons from 14 Countries. Through a 17-item questionnaire, participants were asked about the local management of patients with GD since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The majority (n = 26,72.2%) of surgeons reported an alarming decrease in the cholecystectomy rate for GD since the start of the pandemic, regardless of the Country: 19(52.7%) didn't operate any GD, 7(19.4%) reduced their surgical activity by 50–75%, 10(27.8%) by 25–50%, 1(2.8%) maintained regular activity. Currently, only patients with GD complications are operated. Thirty-two (88.9%) participants expect these changes to last for at least 3 months. In 15(41.6%) Centers, patients are currently being screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection before cholecystectomy [in 10(27.8%) Centers only in the presence of suspected infection, in 5(13.9%) routinely]. The majority of surgeons (n = 29,80.6%) have adopted a laparoscopic approach as standard surgery, 5(13.9%) perform open cholecystectomy in patients with known/suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 2(5.6%) in all patients. Conclusion: In the ongoing COVID-19 emergency, the surgical treatment of GD is postponed, resulting in a huge number of untreated patients who could develop severe morbidity. Updated guidelines and dedicated pathways for patients with benign disease awaiting elective surgery are mandatory to prevent further aggravation of the overloaded healthcare systems
Global management of a common, underrated surgical task during the COVID-19 pandemic: Gallstone disease - An international survery
Background: Since the Coronavirus disease-19(COVID-19) pandemic, the healthcare systems are reallocating their medical resources, with consequent narrowed access to elective surgery for benign conditions such as gallstone disease(GD). This survey represents an overview of the current policies regarding the surgical management of patients with GD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A Web-based survey was conducted among 36 Hepato-Prancreato-Biliary surgeons from 14 Countries. Through a 17-item questionnaire, participants were asked about the local management of patients with GD since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The majority (n = 26,72.2%) of surgeons reported an alarming decrease in the cholecystectomy rate for GD since the start of the pandemic, regardless of the Country: 19(52.7%) didn't operate any GD, 7(19.4%) reduced their surgical activity by 50–75%, 10(27.8%) by 25–50%, 1(2.8%) maintained regular activity. Currently, only patients with GD complications are operated. Thirty-two (88.9%) participants expect these changes to last for at least 3 months. In 15(41.6%) Centers, patients are currently being screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection before cholecystectomy [in 10(27.8%) Centers only in the presence of suspected infection, in 5(13.9%) routinely]. The majority of surgeons (n = 29,80.6%) have adopted a laparoscopic approach as standard surgery, 5(13.9%) perform open cholecystectomy in patients with known/suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 2(5.6%) in all patients. Conclusion
Early-forming Massive Stars Suppress Star Formation and Hierarchical Cluster Assembly
Feedback from massive stars plays an important role in the formation of star clusters. Whether a very massive star is born early or late in the cluster formation timeline has profound implications for the star cluster formation and assembly processes. We carry out a controlled experiment to characterize the effects of early-forming massive stars on star cluster formation. We use the star formation software suite Torch , combining self-gravitating magnetohydrodynamics, ray-tracing radiative transfer, N -body dynamics, and stellar feedback, to model four initially identical 10 ^4 M _⊙ giant molecular clouds with a Gaussian density profile peaking at 521.5 cm ^−3 . Using the Torch software suite through the AMUSE framework, we modify three of the models, to ensure that the first star that forms is very massive (50, 70, and 100 M _⊙ ). Early-forming massive stars disrupt the natal gas structure, resulting in fast evacuation of the gas from the star-forming region. The star formation rate is suppressed, reducing the total mass of the stars formed. Our fiducial control model, without an early massive star, has a larger star formation rate and total efficiency by up to a factor of 3, and a higher average star formation efficiency per freefall time by up to a factor of 7. Early-forming massive stars promote the buildup of spatially separate and gravitationally unbound subclusters, while the control model forms a single massive cluster