Three-dimensional dynamics of protostellar evolution. [Nonlinear problems, kinetics

Abstract

A three-dimensional finite difference numerical methodology was developed for self-gravitating, rotating gaseous systems. The fully nonlinear equations for time-varying fluid dynamics are solved by high speed computer in a cylindrical coordinate system rotating with an instantaneous angular velocity, selected such that the net angular momentum relative to the rotating frame is zero. The time-dependent adiabatic collapse of gravitationally bound, rotating, protostellar clouds is studied for specified uniform and nonuniform initial conditions. Uniform clouds can form axisymmetric, rotating toroidal configurations. If the thermal pressure is high, nonuniform clouds can also collapse to axisymmetric toroids. For low thermal pressures, however, the collapsing cloud is unstable to initial perturbations. The fragmentation of protostellar clouds is investigated by studying the response of rotating, self-gravitating, equilibrium toroids to non-axisymmetric perturbations. The detailed evolution of the fragmenting toroid depends upon a non-dimensional function of the initial entropy, the total mass in the toroid, the angular velocity of rotation, and the number of perturbation wavelengths around the circumference of the toroid. For low and intermediate entropies, the configuration develops into co-rotating components with spiral streamers. In the spiral regions retrograde vortices are observed in some examples. For high levels of entropy, barred spirals can exist as intermediate states of the fragmentation.