Magnetic Properties of Star-Forming Dense Cores

TL;DR

This study measures magnetic field strengths in 17 dense star-forming cores, finding they are nearly critical for gravitational collapse and exhibit correlations with density and column density consistent with theoretical models.

Contribution

It provides observational evidence that magnetic fields in dense cores are nearly critical and correlates these properties with density and mass, supporting theoretical models of star formation.

Findings

Magnetic field strength B_pos correlates with column density N as B_pos~N^1.05.

Magnetic field strength B_pos correlates with density n as B_pos~n^0.66.

Core magnetic properties are consistent with nearly critical, virialized, and Alfvenic conditions.

Abstract

Magnetic and energetic properties are presented for 17 dense cores within a few hundred pc of the Sun. Their plane-of-sky field strengths are estimated from the dispersion of polarization directions, following Davis, Chandrasekhar and Fermi (DCF). Their ratio of mass to magnetic critical mass is 0.5-3, indicating nearly critical field strengths. The field strength B_pos is correlated with column density N as B_pos~N^p, where p=1.05+-0.08, and with density n as B_pos~n^q, where q=0.66+-0.05. These magnetic properties are consistent with those derived from Zeeman studies (Crutcher et al. 2010), with less scatter. Relations between virial mass M_V, magnetic critical mass M_B, and Alfven amplitude sigma_B/B match the observed range of M/M_B for cores observed to be nearly virial, with M/M_V=0.5-2, with moderate Alfven amplitudes, and with sigma_B/B=0.1-0.4. The B-N and B-n correlations in the DCF and Zeeman samples can be explained when such bound, Alfvenic, and nearly-critical cores have central concentration and spheroidal shape. For these properties, B~N because M/M_B is nearly constant compared to the range of N, and B~n^(2/3) because M^(1/3) is nearly constant compared to the range of n^(2/3). The observed core fields which follow B~n^(2/3) need not be much weaker than gravity, in contrast to core fields which follow B~n^(2/3) due to spherical contraction at constant mass (Mestel 1966). Instead, the nearly critical values of M/M_B suggest that the observed core fields are nearly as strong as possible, among values which allow gravitational contraction.