Three-dimensional dynamics of protostellar evolution

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (41) References (12) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Three-dimensional dynamics of protostellar evolution. Cook, T. L. ; Harlow, F. H. Abstract A three-dimensional finite-difference numerical technique is outlined for self-gravitating rotating gaseous systems. The full nonlinear time-dependent equations describing a rotating self-gravitating fluid are solved in rotating cylindrical coordinates, and the time-dependent adiabatic collapse of gravitationally bound rotating protostellar clouds is analyzed for specified uniform and nonuniform initial conditions. It is found that uniform clouds can form axisymmetric rotating toroidal configurations, that nonuniform clouds can collapse to axisymmetric ellipsoids if the thermal pressure is high, and that the collapsing cloud is unstable to perturbations for low thermal pressures. The ensuing fragmentation of unstable protostellar clouds is examined by studying the response of self-gravitating equilibrium toroids to nonaxisymmetric perturbations. The results show that the detailed evolution of a fragmenting toroid depends on a nondimensional function of the initial entropy, as well as the total mass in the toroid, the rotational angular velocity, and the number of perturbation wavelengths around the circumference of the toroid. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: November 1978 DOI: 10.1086/156568 Bibcode: 1978ApJ...225.1005C Keywords: Finite Difference Theory; Protostars; Stellar Evolution; Stellar Models; Chandrasekhar Equation; Dynamic Models; Gravitational Collapse; Rotating Matter; Toroids; Astrophysics; Collapse:Protostellar Clouds; Hydrodynamics:Star Formation full text sources ADS |