Magnetic fields in star formation: from galaxies to stars

TL;DR

This paper reviews the role of magnetic fields across various scales in star formation, highlighting recent simulation advances and their impact on core fragmentation, cloud collapse, and interstellar medium dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a new MHD algorithm for SPH simulations, enabling detailed study of magnetic effects in star formation processes at multiple scales.

Findings

Magnetic fields influence fragmentation in star forming cores.

Magnetic fields affect the collapse dynamics of turbulent molecular clouds.

Magnetic fields impact the behavior of the interstellar medium.

Abstract

Magnetic fields are important at every scale in the star formation process: from the dynamics of the ISM in galaxies, to the collapse of turbulent molecular clouds to form stars and in the fragmentation of individual star forming cores. The recent development of a robust algorithm for MHD in the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method has enabled us to perform simulations of star formation including magnetic fields at each of these scales. This paper focusses on three questions in particular: What is the effect of magnetic fields on fragmentation in star forming cores? How do magnetic fields affect the collapse of turbulent molecular clouds to form stars? and: What effect do magnetic fields have on the dynamics of the interstellar medium?