The physics and modes of star cluster formation: simulations

TL;DR

This paper reviews numerical simulations of star cluster formation, highlighting hierarchical mergers, resulting structures, and factors influencing stellar mass and formation efficiency.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of recent simulation results, emphasizing the physical processes shaping star cluster properties.

Findings

Clusters form through hierarchical mergers leading to fractal structures.

Clusters are mildly aspherical and highly mass-segregated post-mergers.

Star formation efficiency depends on magnetic fields and initial cloud conditions.

Abstract

We review progress in numerical simulations of star cluster formation. These simulations involve the bottom-up assembly of clusters through hierarchical mergers, which produces a fractal stellar distribution at young (~0.5 Myr) ages. The resulting clusters are predicted to be mildly aspherical and highly mass-segregated, except in the immediate aftermath of mergers. The upper initial mass function within individual clusters is generally somewhat flatter than for the aggregate population. Recent work has begun to clarify the factors that control the mean stellar mass in a star-forming cloud and also the efficiency of star formation. The former is sensitive to the thermal properties of the gas while the latter depends both on the magnetic field and the initial degree of gravitational boundedness of the natal cloud. Unmagnetized clouds that are initially bound undergo rapid collapse, which is difficult to reverse by ionization feedback or stellar winds.