Accretion shock in protostellar disk
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NASA's Far-IR/Submillimeter Roadmap Missions SAFIR and SPECS
The far-IR is rich with information about star, disk and planet formation because protostars emit predominantly in this spectral range, and the radiation can escape from the inherently dusty stellar birth sites. Spectral lines contain particularly valuable information about the cooling, collapse, and chemistry of molecular cloud cores and protostars. However, the interpretation of line intensities and profiles is model-dependent; ultimately, high angular resolution is needed to break model degeneracy and definitively characterize the source. Processes occurring on scales smaller than 10,000 AU (72 arcsec at 140 pc, where the nearest protostellar objects are found) likely affect the stellar initial mass function and determine the product of cloud collapse (Binary star or planetary system? How many planets, and what kind will they be?) The next-generation far-IR observatories SIRTF, SOFIA, and Herschel will revolutionize star formation studies and leave the community yearning for telescopes that operate in this spectral region but provide many orders of magnitude better angular resolution. NASA's space science roadmap includes the JWST-scale Single Aperture Far-IR (SAFIR) telescope and the 1 km maximum baseline far-IR interferometer, SPECS (the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure). I will give the scientific motivation for these missions, describe mission concepts and telescope measurement capabilities, and compare these capabilities with those of the next-generation IR telescopes and with the complementary JWST and ALMA. I will also describe the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT), a science and technology pathfinder for SPECS, which could be ready to launch in about a decade. At 100 microns, SAFIR will provide 2.5 arcsec resolution (10 times better than SIRTF), SPIRIT will provide 0.25 arcsec resolution, and SPECS will provide 10 milli-arcsec resolution, which is comparable to that of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Leisawitz, David↗
Proceedings of Protostars and Planets V
Oral presentation sessions in this conference include: Clouds and cores; Star formation and protostars; Binaries and multiples; Newborn massive stars; jets and outflows; Clusters and associations; T Tauri stars and disks; Brown dwarfs; Planet formation and evolution; Extrasolar planets; Dust and protoplanetary disks; Early solar system and Astrobiology. Poster presentations included: Clouds and Cores. Collapse and Protostars, Binaries and Multiples, Clusters, Associations, and the IMF, Jets and Outflows, T Tauri Stars and Other Young Stars, Disks and Disk Accretion, Brown Dwarfs, Herbig Ae/Be Stars and Massive Stars, Solar System Objects, Planet Formation, Extrasolar Planets and Planet Detection, Properties of Protoplanetary Disks, Migration and Planetary Orbits and Meteoritics and Astrobiology
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The formation of primordial binaries in globular clusters by star-disk interactions
The formation of primordial binaries in globular clusters is examined using simple numerical models. Clusters of protostars collapse until their velocity dispersion rises sufficiently to reverse the infall and the cluster reaches equilibrium. During the collapse, interactions between stars and protostellar disks lead to stellar capture. It is found that binary fraction of a few percent typically result. Binary formation is terminated when the velocity dispersion rises to a point at which most encounters result in disk destruction rather than capture. As a result, much gas is returned to the cluster ISM, limiting the star formation efficiency to a value significantly below 100 percent.
Murray, Stephen D.↗
The contribution of disks and envelopes to the millimeter continuum emission from very young low-mass stars
We investigate the question of disk formation during the protostar phase. We model the dust continuum emission from the dense cloud core using the cloud-collapse models of Terebey et al. (1984) and show that dust emission from the dense core is important when measured with large single-dish telescopes at 1.3 mm, but nearly negligible with interferometers at 2.7 mm. From published and new data, we conclude that massive disks are also seen toward a number of other sources including L1448 IRS 3, whose disk mass is estimated to be 0.5 solar mass. However, 1.3 mm data show that massive disks are relatively rare, occurring around perhaps 5 percent of young embedded stars. This implies that either massive disks occur briefly during the embedded phase or that relatively few young stars form massive disks. The median 1.3 mm flux density of IRAS-Dense cores in our sample is nearly the same as T Tauri stars in the sample of Beckwith et al. (1990). We conclude that the typical disk mass is not significantly higher during the embedded phase than during the later T Tauri phase.
Terebey, S.↗
Millimeter continuum measurements of circumstellar dust around very young low-mass stars
We investigate the question of disk formation during the protostar phase. We build on the results of Keene and Masson (1990) whose analysis of L1551 showed the millimeter continuum emission comes from both an unresolved circumstellar component, i.e., a disk and an extended cloud core. We model the dust continuum emission from the cloud core and show how it is important at 1.3 mm but negligible at 2.7 mm. Combining new 2.7 mm Owens Valley Interferometer data of IRAS-Dense cores with data from the literature we conclude that massive disks are also seen toward a number of other sources. However, 1.3 mm data from the IRAM 30 m telescope for a larger sample shows that massive disks are relatively rare, occurring around perhaps 5% of young embedded stars. This implies that either massive disks occur briefly during the embedded phase or that relatively few young stars form massive disks. At 1.3 mm the median flux of IRAS-Dense cores is nearly the same as T Tauri stars in the sample of Beckwith et al. (1990). We conclude that the typical disk mass during the embedded phase is nearly the same or less than the typical disk mass during the T Tauri phase.
Terebey, S.↗
Millimeter Continuum Measurements of Circumstellar Dust Around Very Young Low Mass Stars
We investigate the question of disk formation during the protostar phase. We build on the results of Keene and Masson (1990) who analysis of L1551 showed themillimeter continuum emission comes from both an unresolved circumstellar conponent i.e. disk and an extended cloud core.
dust continuum emission cloud core Owens Valley In↗
Effect of Population III Multiplicity on Dark Star Formation
We numerically study the mutual interaction between dark matter (DM) and Population III (Pop III) stellar systems in order to explore the possibility of Pop III dark stars within this physical scenario. We perform a cosmological simulation, initialized at z approx. 100, which follows the evolution of gas and DM. We analyze the formation of the first mini halo at z approx. 20 and the subsequent collapse of the gas to densities of 10(exp 12)/cu cm. We then use this simulation to initialize a set of smaller-scale 'cut-out' simulations in which we further refine the DM to have spatial resolution similar to that of the gas. We test multiple DM density profiles, and we employ the sink particle method to represent the accreting star-forming region. We find that, for a range of DM configurations, the motion of the Pop III star-disk system serves to separate the positions of the protostars with respect to the DM density peak, such that there is insufficient DM to influence the formation and evolution of the protostars for more than approx. 5000 years. In addition, the star-disk system causes gravitational scattering of the central DM to lower densities, further decreasing the influence of DM over time. Any DM-powered phase of Pop III stars will thus be very short-lived for the typical multiple system, and DM will not serve to significantly prolong the life of Pop III stars.
Stacy, Athena↗
Community Plan for Far-Infrared/Submillimeter Space Astronomy
This paper represents the consensus view of the 124 participants in the Second Workshop on New Concepts for Far-Infrared/Submillimeter Space Astronomy.We recommend that NASA pursue the vision for far-IR astronomy outlined in the NAS Decadal Survey, which said: A rational coordinated program for space optical and infrared astronomy would build on the experience gained with NGST1 to construct [a JWST-scale filled-aperture far-IR telescope SAFIR, and then ultimately, in the decade 2010 to 2020, build on the SAFIR, TPF, and SIM experience to assemble a space-based, far-infrared interferometer. SAFIR will study star formation in the young universe, the buildup of elements heavier than hydrogen over cosmic history, the process of galaxy formation, and the early phases of star formation, which occur behind a veil of dust that precludes detection at mid IR and shorter wavelengths. The far-infrared interferometer will resolve distant galaxies to study protogalaxy interactions and mergers and the processes that led to enhanced star formation activity and the formation of Active Galactic Nuclei, and will resolve protostars and debris disks in our Galaxy to study how stars and planetary systems form.
Ade, Peter↗
Dynamo magnetic field-induced angular momentum transport in protostellar nebulae - The 'minimum mass' protosolar nebula
Magnetic torques can produce angular momentum redistribution in protostellar nebulas. Dynamo magnetic fields can be generated in differentially rotating and turbulent nebulas and can be the source of magnetic torques that transfer angular momentum from a protostar to a disk, as well as redistribute angular momentum within a disk. A magnetic field strength of 100-1000 G is needed to transport the major part of a protostar's angular momentum into a surrounding disk in a time characteristic of star formation, thus allowing formation of a solar-system size protoplanetary nebula in the usual 'minimum-mass' model of the protosolar nebula. This paper examines the possibility that a dynamo magnetic field could have induced the needed angular momentum transport from the proto-Sun to the protoplanetary nebula.
Stepinski, T. F.↗
Protosteller Disks Under the Influence of Winds and UV Radiation
Star formation and the creation of protostellar disks generally occur in a crowded environment. Nearby young stars and protostars can influence the disks of their closets neighbors by a combination of outflows and hard radiation. The central stars themselves can have a stellar wind and may produce sufficient UV and X-ray to ultimately destroy their surrounding disks. Here we describe the results of numerical simulations of the influence that an external UV source and a central star's wind can have on its circumstellar disk. The numerical method (axial symmetry assumed) is described elsewhere. We find that protostellar disks will be destroyed on a relatively short time scale (~ 10(sup 5)yr) unless they are well shielded from O-stars. Initially isotropic T-Tauri winds do not significantly influence their disks, but instead are focused toward the rotation axis by the disk wind from photoevaporation.
formation↗
Circumprotostellar environments. 2: Envelopes, activity, and evolution
We have obtained 800 and 1100 micron photometric observations of a complete, flux-limited, IRAS-selected sample of cold sources in Taurus, whose infrared and molecular properties indicate them to be low-mass protostars which are younger than T Tauri stars. The goal of this study is to understand the role of the circumstellar envelope and disk during low-mass star formation and to search for signs of evolution. We find a good correlation between the submillimeter flux density (as well as of envelope mass) with both the mechanical luminosity of the molecular outflow and with the far-infrared luminosity, presumably produced by accretion onto the protostar. This suggests that the mass of the disk/envelope may be linked to the rate of accretion onto the protostar and to the generation of outflows. However, in contrast to the results of Cabrit & Andre (1991) we see no evidence for a lower limit to the disk/envelope mass which can produce outflow. We also find a significant difference between the spectral energy distributions at submillimeter wavelengths of embedded protostars compared to optically visible T Tauri stars. The more evolved (T Tuari) objects tend to have shallower spectral indices than embedded sources, suggesting (1) an evolution of dust grains, and/or (2) a more compact envelope and optically thick disk in the older objects.
Moriarty-Schieven, G. H.↗
Protostars and Disks
The research concentrated on high angular resolution (arc-second scale) studies of molecular cloud cores associated with very young star formation. New ways to study disks and protoplanetary systems were explored. Findings from the areas studied are briefly summarized: (1) molecular clouds; (2) gravitational contraction; (3) jets, winds, and outflows; (4) Circumstellar Disks (5) Extrasolar Planetary Systems. A bibliography of publications and submitted papers produced during the grant period is included.
Ho, Paul↗
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Star Formation
The 6.5-m aperture James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be a powerful tool for studying and advancing numerous areas of astrophysics. Its Fine Guidance Sensor, Near-Infrared Camera, Near-Infrared Spectrograph, and Mid-Infrared Instrument will be capable of making very sensitive, high angular resolution imaging and spectroscopic observations spanning 0.7 - 28 ?m wavelength. These capabilities are very well suited for probing the conditions of star formation in the distant and local Universe. Indeed, JWST has been designed to detect first light objects as well as to study the fine details of jets, disks, chemistry, envelopes, and the central cores of nearby protostars. We will be able to use its cameras, coronagraphs, and spectrographs (including multi-object and integral field capabilities) to study many aspects of star forming regions throughout the galaxy, the Local Group, and more distant regions. I will describe the basic JWST scientific capabilities and illustrate a few ways how they can be applied to star formation issues and conditions with a focus on Galactic regions.
Greene, Thomas P.↗
The formation of protostellar disks. I - 1 M(solar)
Hydrodynamical calculations of the collapse of an axisymmetric, rotating one solar mass protostellar cloud, including the effects of radiative transfer and radiative acceleration but without magnetic fields, are presented. The results include calculations of infrared protostellar spectra as a function of time and viewing angle. A numerical algorithm involving explicit nested grids is used to resolve the region of initial disk formation and at the same time to include the outer regions in the calculation. The central part of the protostar is modeled approximately. Initial conditions are systematically varied to investigate their influence on the evolution and final configuration of central star plus circumstellar disk. The initial state for the standard case is a centrally condensed molecular cloud core of one solar mass with a mean density of 8 x 10 exp -18 g/cu cm and a specific angular momentum at the outer edge of 7 x 10 exp 20 sq cm/s. The collapse is followed for 8 x 10 exp 4 yr, at which point 0.45 solar mass is contained in a rapidly rotating central object and most of the remainder in a surrounding equilibrium disk. The stability of this final structure is qualitatively analyzed.
Yorke, Harold W.↗
Protostars and planets II
Various papers on the formation of stars and planets are presented. The general topics addressed include: molecular clouds and star formation, young stellar objects and circumstellar disks, chemistry and grains in molecular clouds and the solar nebula, formation of giant planets, and models of the solar nebula and other planetary systems. Individual papers address: molecular cloud cores, physical conditions in isolated dark globules, rotation in dark clouds, and turbulence in molecular clouds. Also discussed are: fragmentation and hierarchical structure in the interstellar medium, formation of bound stellar clusters, ambient radiation field of young solar systems, and magnetic fields.
Black, D. C.↗
Circum-Protostellar Environments II. Envelopes, Activity, and Evolution
We have obtained 800 and 1100 micrometer photometric observations of a complete, flux-limited, IRAS-selected sample of cold sources in Taurus, whose infrared and molecular properties indicate them to be low-mass protostars younger than T Tauri stars. The data were used to improve understanding of the role of the circumstellar envelope and disk during low-mass star formation and to search for signs of evolution.
star formation interstellar continuum circumstella↗
Infrared spectra of protostellar collapse
Theoretical models of the formation of low mass stars by cloud collapse predict that OI(63 micrometers) and IR rotational lines of CO and H2O dominate the cooling in the freefalling region 10-1000 AU from the protostar. The freefalling gas supersonically hits the protoplanetary disk orbiting the protostar, forming an accretion shock with strong IR emission in rotational lines of H2O and OH, and OI(63 microns). The accretion shock spectra and line profiles depend on the mass flux through the shock and the typical distance r-bar at which the freefalling gas strikes the disk. The line widths are of order the Keplerian speed, or approx. 10(r-bar/10AU)(exp -0.5) km/s, for the accretion shock lines, and less for the lines from the infalling gas. Measurements of the IR line fluxes and profiles from the freefalling gas and the accretion shock diagnoses how a protostar and disk are formed and requires high sensitivity and high spectral and spatial resolving power. SOFIA will be the optimum observatory for many of these lines, although ISO will contribute and the KAO may make a few pioneering detections.
Hollenbach, David J.↗