The Formation and Evolution of Wide-Orbit Stellar Multiples In Magnetized Clouds

TL;DR

This study uses 3D magnetized turbulence simulations to explore how magnetic fields influence the formation, multiplicity, and evolution of wide-orbit stellar systems in star-forming clouds, aligning with observed multiplicity fractions.

Contribution

It demonstrates how magnetic field strength affects fragmentation, multiplicity, and binary evolution, providing new insights into the formation of multiple-star systems in turbulent, magnetized environments.

Findings

Stronger magnetic fields suppress small-scale fragmentation.

Multiplicity fraction aligns with observed values (~0.4-0.6).

Most protostars become part of a binary system at some stage.

Abstract

Stars rarely form in isolation. Nearly half of the stars in the Milky Way have a companion, and this fraction increases in star-forming regions. However, why some dense cores and filaments form bound pairs while others form single stars remains unclear. We present a set of three-dimensional, gravo-magnetohydrodynamic simulations of turbulent star-forming clouds, aimed at understanding the formation and evolution of multiple-star systems formed through large scale (>~$10^3$ AU) turbulent fragmentation. We investigate three global magnetic field strengths, with global mass-to-flux ratios of $\mu_\phi$=2, 8, and 32. The initial separations of protostars in multiples depends on the global magnetic field strength, with stronger magnetic fields (e.g., $\mu_\phi$=2) suppressing fragmentation on smaller scales. The overall multiplicity fraction (MF) is between 0.4-0.6 for our strong and intermediate magnetic field strengths, which is in agreement with observations. The weak field case has a lower fraction. The MF is relatively constant throughout the simulations, even though stellar densities increase as collapse continues. While the MF rarely exceeds 60% in all three simulations, over 80% of all protostars are part of a binary system at some point. We additionally find that the distribution of binary spin mis-alignment angles is consistent with a randomized distribution. In all three simulations, several binaries originate with wide separations and dynamically evolve to <~ $10^2$ AU separations. We show that a simple model of mass accretion and dynamical friction with the gas can explain this orbital evolution.