Nonlinear Evolution of Gravitational Fragmentation Regulated by Magnetic Fields and Ambipolar Diffusion

TL;DR

This study uses simulations to explore how magnetic fields and ambipolar diffusion influence gravitational fragmentation, revealing key dynamics and potential observational indicators of magnetic properties in molecular clouds.

Contribution

The paper provides detailed simulation results on gravitational fragmentation considering magnetic effects, highlighting the impact of magnetic criticality on evolution timescales and core properties.

Findings

Fragmentation spacing matches linear theory predictions.

Nonlinear growth times are about ten times the eigenmode growth time.

Core mass distribution shows a preferred mass scale with broad variation.

Abstract

We present results from an extensive set of simulations of gravitational fragmentation in the presence of magnetic fields and ambipolar diffusion. The average fragmentation spacing in the nonlinear phase of evolution is in excellent agreement with the prediction of linear perturbation theory. The time scale for nonlinear growth and runaway of the first core is $\approx 10$ times the calculated growth time $\taugm$ of the eigenmode with minimum growth time, when starting from a uniform background state with small-amplitude white-noise perturbations. Subcritical and transcritical models typically evolve on a significantly longer time scale than the supercritical models. Infall motions in the nonlinear fully-developed contracting cores are subsonic on the core scale in subcritical and transcritical clouds, but are somewhat supersonic in supercritical clouds. Core mass distributions are sharply peaked with a steep decline to large masses, consistent with the existence of a preferred mass scale for each unique set of dimensionless free parameters. However, a sum total of results for various initial mass-to-flux ratios yields a broad distribution reminiscent of observed core mass distributions. Based on our results, we conclude that fragmentation spacings, magnitude of infall motions, core shapes, and, especially, the curvature of magnetic field morphology, may serve as indirect observational means of determining a cloud's ambient mass-to-flux ratio.