The Formation of Population III Stars in Gas Accretion Stage: Effects of Magnetic Fields

TL;DR

This study uses resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations to explore how magnetic fields influence the formation and final configuration of Population III stars, revealing that magnetic strength determines whether stars form in clusters, binaries, or as singles.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the role of magnetic fields in Population III star formation, especially how they affect fragmentation, disk formation, and the resulting stellar systems.

Findings

Weak magnetic fields lead to stellar cluster formation with mergers.

Strong magnetic fields suppress disk formation, resulting in single massive stars.

Intermediate magnetic fields can produce binary systems.

Abstract

The formation of Population III stars is investigated using resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations. Starting from a magnetized primordial prestellar cloud, we calculate the cloud evolution several hundreds of years after first protostar formation, resolving the protostellar radius. When the natal minihalo field strength is weaker than B \lesssim 10^-13 (n/1 cm^-3)^-2/3 G (n is the hydrogen number density), magnetic effects can be ignored. In this case, fragmentation occurs frequently and a stellar cluster forms, in which stellar mergers and mass exchange between protostars contribute to the mass growth of these protostars. During the early gas accretion phase, the most massive protostar remains near the cloud centre, whereas some of the less massive protostars are ejected. The magnetic field significantly affects Population III star formation when B_amb \gtrsim 10^-12 (n/1 cm^-3)^-2/3 G. In this case, because the angular momentum around the protostar is effectively transferred by both magnetic braking and protostellar jets, the gas falls directly onto the protostar without forming a disk, and only a single massive star forms. In addition, a massive binary stellar system appears when B_amb \sim 10^-12 (n/1cm^-3)^-2/3 G. Therefore, the magnetic field determines the end result of the formation process (cluster, binary or single star) for Population III stars. Moreover, no persistent circumstellar disk appears around the protostar regardless of the magnetic field strength, which may influence the further evolution of Population III stars.