Fragmentation Of Clouds Research Articles

Studying the Effect of Radiation Pressure on Evolution of a Population III Stellar Cluster

Recent numerical simulations have shown that the unstable disk within the central regime of the primordial gas cloud fragments to form multiple protostars on several scales. Their evolution depends on the mass accretion phenomenon, interaction with the surrounding medium and radiative feedback respectively. In this work, we use a fast semianalytical framework in order to model multiple protostars within a rotating cloud, where the mass accretion is estimated via a Bondi–Hoyle flow and the feedback process is approximated through radiation pressure. We observe that while some of the evolving protostars possibly grow massive (≈1–75 M ⊙) via accretion and mergers, a fraction of them (≈20%) are likely to be ejected from the parent cloud with a mass corresponding to M * ≲ 0.8 M ⊙. These low-mass protostars may be considered as the potential candidates to enter the zero-age-main-sequence phase and possibly survive until the present epoch.

SDSS J102915.14+172927.9: Revisiting the chemical pattern

The small- to intermediate-mass ($ M<0.8 M_ most metal-poor stars that formed in the infancy of the Universe are still shining today in the sky. They are very rare, but their discovery and investigation brings new knowledge on the formation of the first stellar generations. SDSS J102915.14+172927.9 is one of the most metal-poor star known to date. Since no carbon can be detected in its spectrum, a careful upper limit is important, both to classify this star and to distinguish it from the carbon-enhanced stars that represent the majority at these metallicities. We undertook a new observational campaign to acquire high-resolution UVES spectra. The new spectra were combined with archival spectra in order to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. From the combined spectrum, we derived abundances for seven elements (Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Fe, Ni, and a tentative Li) and five significant upper limits (C, Na, Al, Sr, and Ba). The star has a carbon abundance $ A(C)<4.68$ and therefore is not enhanced in carbon, at variance with the majority of the stars at this Fe regime, which typically show $ A(C)>6.0$. A feature compatible with the Li doublet at 670.7\,nm is tentatively detected. The upper limit on carbon implies $ Z<1.915 $, more than 20 times lower than the most iron-poor star known. Therefore, the gas cloud out of which the star was formed did not cool via atomic lines but probably through dust. Fragmentation of the primordial cloud is another possibility for the formation of a star with a metallicity this low.

Slow and steady does the trick: Slow outflows enhance the fragmentation of molecular clouds

Most massive galaxies host a supermassive black hole at their centre. Matter accretion creates an active galactic nucleus (AGN), forming a relativistic particle wind. The wind heats and pushes the interstellar medium, producing galactic-wide outflows. Fast outflows remove the gas from galaxies and quench star formation, and while slower ($v<500$ km s$^ $) outflows are ubiquitous, their effect is less clear but can be both positive and negative. We wish to understand the conditions required for positive feedback. We investigated the effect that slow and warm-hot outflows have on the dense gas clouds in the host galaxy. We aim to constrain the region of outflow and cloud parameter space, if any, where the passage of the outflow enhances star formation. We used numerical simulations of virtual `wind tunnels' to investigate the interaction of isolated turbulent spherical clouds ($10^ $ M$_ sun $) with slow outflows ($10$ km s$^ out 400$ km $) spanning a wide range of temperatures ($10^ $ K). We modelled 57 systems in total. We find that warm outflows compress the clouds and enhance gas fragmentation at velocities $ leq 200$ km s$^ $, while hot ($T_ out = 10^6$ K) outflows increase fragmentation rates even at moderate velocities of $400$ km s$^ $. Cloud acceleration, on the other hand, is typically inefficient, with dense gas only attaining velocities of $ 0.1 v_ out We suggest three primary scenarios where positive feedback on star formation is viable: stationary cloud compression by slow outflows in low-powered AGN, sporadic enhancement in shear flow layers formed by luminous AGN, and self-compression in fragmenting AGN-driven outflows. We also consider other potential scenarios where suitable conditions arise, such as compression of galaxy discs and supernova explosions. Our results are consistent with current observational constraints and with previous works investigating triggered star formation in these disparate domains.

Observation of Le Sage gravity analog in complex plasma.

Fragmentation of a suspension of micron-sized plastic microparticles and their contraction into dense globules was experimentally obtained in a gas discharge plasma, when the plasma density was deliberately and abruptly increased. The globules took up spherical shapes 0.14-1.1mm in diameters and contained from tens to thousands microparticles. The fragmentation and globule formation appears to be similar to the development of gravitational instability. This process is attributed to the Le Sage's like attraction among microparticles in a dense plasma due to the plasma losses inside a globule hypothesized theoretically in the middle of the 1990s. The key role of plasma flows in the attraction was prominently demonstrated in the same experiment by the distinctly visible disintegration of the globules when we reduced the density of the surrounding plasma to the initial one. Also molecular dynamics simulations of fragmentation of microparticle clouds and globules formation qualitatively resemble typical patterns of the fragmentation and collapse of interstellar nebulae.

Assessing damage degree of solid rocket motor under various cook-off conditions

This research is focused to investigate the cook-off response of a solid rocket motor (SRM) utilizing ammonium perchlorate/hydroxyl‑terminated polybutadiene (AP/HTPB) propellants under various heating environments, also assessing the damage degree of the motor casing and exploring the formation mechanism of ignition site. We have developed a three-dimensional (3-D) numerical model that encapsulates a range of response behaviors, including cook-off and mechanical destruction of the SRM. This model integrates multi-step thermal decomposition and combustion reaction models for the propellant, as well as a damage response model for the SRM. The response mechanisms of the SRM under varying thermal conditions have been simulated using a validated model. The study reveals that under both fast cook-off condition (FCC) and slow cook-off condition (SCC), the motors experienced deformation and rupture. Under FCC, ignition initiated at the motor head, reaching a maximum pressure of approximately 800 MPa near the ignition point. This led to the separation of the motor head from the main body, producing numerous casing fragments with the fragment cloud's radius showing a linear correlation to time (R = 0.73289t + 28.24286). The ignition delay was 224.5 s at an ignition temperature of 551.83 K. In contrast, under SCC, ignition occurred at the propellant's midsection inner surface, with a significantly lower maximum pressure of about 700 MPa. The motor expanded at this site, with the expansion radius exhibiting a nonlinear relationship to time (R = 0.19102t2 + 0.0096t + 32.97464). The casing then ruptured, causing extensive damage to both ends and generating a debris cloud with a radius that correlated linearly to time (R = 0.82147t + 26.70826). More severe longitudinal tearing, exceeding the FCC scenario, appeared in the motor body. The ignition delay time was 18.82 h. with an ignition temperature of 557.49 K.

Effects of ZrO2 ceramics doped with varying content on the mechanical properties and energy release characteristics of W-Zr alloys

A W-Zr alloy doped with ceramic powder W54.5Zr35-xNi6.7Fe3.3Mo0.5 (ZrO2) x was prepared by powder metallurgy. The effects of the ceramic content on the dynamic and static compressive mechanical behavior and energy release properties of the alloy were studied. The results showed that the addition of ceramics enhanced the energy release characteristics of the W-Zr alloy, and made the alloy break more thoroughly and the fragment cloud distribute evenly. The reaction delay time was shorter and the energy release reaction was more complete. However, the maximum temperature of the alloy reaction decreased. In addition, the addition of ceramics improves the mechanical properties of the material, and its compressive strength is much higher than that of traditional W-Zr alloys.(ZrO2)1 exhibited good mechanical behavior and energy release characteristics. The aftereffect damage performance was further verified using a ballistic gun experiment. Ballistic gun test results showed that (ZrO2) 1 can penetrate A92124 aluminum targets with a thickness of 2 mm at a speed of 809.3 m s−1 and ignite post-target absorbent cotton, with both penetration and post-target damage capabilities.

FeatSync: 3D point cloud multiview registration with attention feature-based refinement

Current studies often decompose multiview registration into several individual tasks, ignoring the correlation between each stage and making certain assumptions on noise distribution without knowledge from previous stages. These issues bring difficulties in generalization to real cases. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end feature-based multiview registration model that takes a set of raw 3D point cloud fragments as input and outputs the global transformation. Unlike previous works, our method allows the exchange of information between stages. We firstly estimate pairwise registration by a attention-based model to assist feature learning. In the next stage, we utilize iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS) algorithm to refine and obtain the global transformation. In each iteration, instead of making assumptions on noises, we directly construct a model to infer the outliers from pairwise registration so that such an inference can help synchronization produce more reliable results. To follow the process in IRLS algorithm, we propose a simple yet effective refinement module to boost feature-based pairwise estimations in an iterative manner, which can be seamlessly integrated into the IRLS procedure. Extensive experiments conducted on benchmark datasets show that the results of our proposed method outperformed existing methods.

INSPIRE: INvestigating Stellar Population In RElics – VI. The low-mass end slope of the stellar initial mass function and chemical composition

ABSTRACT The INSPIRE project has built the largest sample of ultra-compact massive galaxies (UCMGs) at 0.1 < z < 0.4 and obtained their star formation histories (SFHs). Due to their preserved very old stellar populations, relics are the perfect systems to constrain the earliest epochs of mass assembly in the Universe and the formation of massive early-type galaxies. The goal of this work is to investigate whether a correlation exists between the degree of relicness (DoR), quantifying the fraction of stellar mass formed at z > 2, and the other stellar population parameters. We use the Full-Index-Fitting method to fit the INSPIRE spectra to single stellar population (SSP) models. This allows us to measure, for the first time, the slope of the IMF, as well as stellar metallicity [M/H], [Mg/Fe], [Ti/Fe], and [Na/Fe] ratios, and study correlations between them and the DoR. Similarly to normal-sized galaxies, UCMGs with larger stellar masses have overall higher metallicities. We found a correlation between the IMF slope and the DoR, that, however, breaks down for systems with a more extended SFH. An even stronger dependency is found between the IMF and the fraction of mass formed at high-z. At equal velocity dispersion and metallicity, galaxies with a higher DoR have a larger dwarf-to-giant ratio, i.e. a bottom heavy IMF, than that of low-DoR counterparts. This might indicate that the cosmic epoch and therefore different formation scenarios influence the fragmentation of the star formation cloud and hence might be the explanation for IMF variations detected in massive ETGs.

Optical and acoustic ground effects simulations from terminal defense asteroid disruption via the PI method

Our simulations suggest that Pulverize It (PI), a NASA Phase II NIAC study, is an effective multi-modal approach for planetary defense that can operate in extremely short interdiction modes (with intercepts as short as hours prior to atmospheric entry) as well as long-interdiction time scales with months to years of warning. The basic process is complete disruption of the threat via fragmentation. In scenarios with sufficiently long warning time, the fragment cloud spreads enough to miss Earth, resulting in no ground effects. In “worst-case” scenarios with short warning times (“terminal” scenarios), the fragments (typically <10 m in diameter) will enter Earth’s atmosphere, where their energy is dissipated in a series of ground-level optical pulses and de-correlated shock waves, mitigating any significant damage. We investigate the optical and acoustic ground effects through a set of simulation codes that model the interaction of asteroid fragments with Earth’s atmosphere following terminal threat interception. Even in such cases where fragments enter the atmosphere, our simulations suggest that threats mitigated by PI produce vastly less damage on the ground when compared to an equivalent unfragmented case, yielding optical energy deposition below 200 kJ/m2 and shock wave over-pressures under 3 kPa. Our simulations support the proposition that threats like 2023 PDC, the hypothetical 800 m diameter asteroid from the 2023 Planetary Defense Conference impact exercise, can be effectively mitigated through fragmentation. We find that a terminal defense mitigation scenario that disrupts 2023 PDC into 1 million fragments with an intercept of 60 days before ground impact results in reasonable ground effects with minimal damage.

Mapping Cropland Abandonment in the Cloudy Hilly Regions Surrounding the Southwest Basin of China

Cropland is a vital resource intricately connected to food security. Currently, the issue of cropland abandonment poses a serious threat to food production and supply, presenting a significant challenge to rural economies and the stability of the food supply chain. The hilly and cloudy regions of southwest China are particularly affected by cropland abandonment, presenting significant challenges in accurately mapping the distribution of abandoned cropland due to fragmentation and heavy cloud pollution. Therefore, this study focuses on Mingshan County, located in Ya’an City, Sichuan Province, China, as the study area. Utilizing Google Earth Engine (GEE) and a random forest algorithm, a method integrating multi-source data from Landsat 8, Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-1 is proposed to extract abandoned cropland spanning from 2018 to 2022. This study analyzes spatial and temporal characteristics, employing the Geodetector with optimal parameters to explore the underlying mechanisms. The findings reveal the following: (1) The method achieves an overall accuracy of land use classification surpassing 88.67%, with a Kappa coefficient exceeding 0.87. Specifically, the accuracy for identifying abandoned cropland reaches 87.00%. (2) From 2018 to 2022, the abandonment rate in Mingshan County fluctuated between 4.58% and 5.77%, averaging 5.03%. The lowest abandonment rate occurred in 2019–2020, while the highest was observed in 2020–2021. (3) Cropland abandonment is influenced by both natural and social factors. Elevation and slope are the main driving factors, alongside factors such as distance to road, town, and residential settlement that all significantly contribute to abandonment trends. These five factors exhibit positive correlation with the abandonment rate, with distance to the river showing relatively weaker explanatory power.

Indication of a fast ejecta fragment in the atomic cloud interacting with the southwestern limb of SN 1006

Context. Supernova remnants interacting with molecular and atomic clouds are interesting X-ray sources for studies of broadband nonthermal emission. X-ray line emission in these systems can be produced by different processes, such as low-energy cosmic rays (LECRs) interacting with the cloud and fast ejecta fragments moving in the cloud. Aims. This paper is aimed at studying the origin of the non-thermal X-ray emission of the southwestern limb of SN 1006 beyond the main shock to determine whether the emission is due to LECRs diffusing in the cloud or to ejecta knots moving into the cloud. Methods. We analyzed the X-ray emission of the southwestern limb of SN 1006, where the remnant interacts with an atomic cloud, using three different X-ray telescopes: NuSTAR, Chandra, and XMM-Newton. We also performed a combined spectro-imaging analysis of this region. Results. Our analysis of the nonthermal X-ray emission of the southwestern limb of SN 1006 interacting with an atomic cloud has led to the detection of an extended X-ray source in the atomic cloud, approximately 2 pc upstream of the shock front. The source is characterized by a hard continuum (described by a power law with photon index Γ ∼ 1.4) and by Ne, Si, and Fe emission lines. The observed flux suggests that the origin of the X-ray emission is not associated with LECRs interacting with the cloud. On the other hand, the spectral properties of the source, together with the detection of an IR counterpart visible with Spitzer-MIPS at 24 μm, are in good agreement with the general expectations for a fast ejecta fragment moving within the atomic cloud. Conclusions. We detected X-ray and IR emission from a possible ejecta fragment, with an approximate radius of 1 × 1017 cm and approximate mass of 10−3 M⊙ at about 2 pc out of the shell of SN 1006, in the interaction region between the southwestern limb of the remnant and the atomic cloud.

Acoustic ground effects simulations from asteroid disruption via the “Pulverize It” method

Our simulations show that PI (“Pulverize It”), a NASA Phase II NIAC study, is an effective multi-modal approach for planetary defense that can operate in extremely short interdiction modes (with intercepts as short as hours prior to atmospheric entry) as well as long interdiction time scales with months to years of warning. The basic process is complete disruption of the threat via fragmentation. In long warning time cases, the fragment cloud spreads enough to miss Earth, resulting in no ground effects. In cases where the warning time is short, the fragments (typically &amp;lt;10 m in diameter) will enter Earth’s atmosphere where their energy is dissipated in a series of ground-level optical pulses and de-correlated shock waves, mitigating any significant damage. We investigate the acoustic ground effects through a set of simulation codes that model the interaction of asteroid fragments with the Earth’s atmosphere following threat interception. Even in the short warning time cases where the fragments enter the atmosphere, our simulations show that threats mitigated by the PI method produce vastly less damage on the ground when compared to the same unfragmented case, yielding shock wave over-pressures under 3 kPa. Our simulations support the proposition that threats sized 20 m—1000 m in diameter can be effectively mitigated through fragmentation, resulting in acoustic ground effects that are below estimated damage thresholds and yield short- and long-term non-lethal effects.

Design and Implementation of Fragmented Clouds for Evaluation of Distributed Databases

Design and Implementation of Fragmented Clouds for Evaluation of Distributed Databases

Radar observation and recontruction of Cosmos 1408 fragmentation

The population of objects in space has increased dramatically over recent decades. Space debris now represents the majority of objects in space resulting from inactive satellites, breakups, collisions and fragmentations. It has become a concern for institutions all over the world and, as such, it has led to the fostering of several programmes to counter the issues. Among these, the use of ground-based sensors for Space Surveillance Tracking (SST) activities and services and tools for analysing fragmentations play a crucial role.This work presents the activities carried out by Politecnico di Milano, Italian Space Agency and Italian National Institute of Astrophysics in this framework, using data from SST networks and the observation measurements from Bistatic Radar for LEo Survey (BIRALES), an Italian bistatic radar belonging to the EUropean Space Surveillance and Tracking (EUSST), which contributed most to the monitoring of the cloud of fragments. Exploiting Two-Line Elements (TLEs) of observed fragments, a reverse engineering approach is used to reconstruct a fragmentation in orbit through the use of the software suite PUZZLE developed at Politecnico di Milano. The analyses focus on studying the fragmentation of the Cosmos 1408 satellite, which occurred on November 15th 2021 following an Anti-SATellite (ASAT) missile test. More than 1000 trackable pieces and millions of smaller debris (estimated from numerical analysis) were produced by this event, increasing the population of inactive objects around the Earth, and threatening nearby orbiting objects.First, the processing method adopted from BIRALES in observing Cosmos debris is presented and discussed and a critical analysis about the derivable information is conducted. Then, these data and those from SST network observations are used to identify the epoch and the location of the fragmentation. In this procedure, the software toolkit PUZZLE, developed by Politecnico di Milano within a project funded by the Italian Space Agency and extended through the European Research Council, is used.

Projectile fragmentation and debris cloud formation behaviour of wavy plates in hypervelocity impact

Continuously increasing micro meteorite and orbital debris (MMOD) in space poses a threat to any manned or unmanned space vehicle with increasing probability of damaging object impact. To address the sufficient level of protection of space vessels, many Whipple shield configurations has been studied for over half a century. Bumper plate of Whipple shields studied in existing literature are flat surfaced plates. In contrast to earlier studies, this paper investigates the reaction of bumper plates with wavy surfaces against hypervelocity impact by analysing how they contribute to projectile fragmentation, formation of debris cloud, and how they dissipate the impact energy. Aluminium plates with four different surface wave profiles (WPs) were numerically investigated under hypervelocity impact conditions to assess their performance on disintegration of the impacting projectile. Fragmentation patterns of spherical aluminium projectile and debris cloud generated by projectile-wavy plate couples were examined and compared with the equivalents observed in flat-surfaced plate impact. A hybrid Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) combined with finite element modelling (FEM) approach was adopted using ANSYS software to simulate hypervelocity impact phenomenon at 3 km/s. Results of the numerical work carried out in this study revealed the distinctive debris cloud generation that has never been reported before in the existing literature. Furthermore, compared to the flat plate, wavy plates are found to be more effective in decreasing the impact energy.

Mitigating potentially hazardous asteroid impacts revisited

Contact. Potentially hazardous asteroids (PHA) in Earth-crossing orbits pose a constant threat to life on Earth. Several mitigation methods have been proposed, and the most feasible technique appears to be the disintegration of the impactor and the generation of a fragment cloud by explosive penetrators at interception. However, mitigation analyses tend to neglect the effect of orbital dynamics on the trajectory of fragments. Aims. We aim to study the effect of orbital dynamics of the impactor’s cloud on the number of fragments that hit the Earth, assuming different interception dates. We investigate the effect of self-gravitational cohesion and the axial rotation of the impactor. Methods. We computed the orbits of 105 fragments with a high-precision direct N-body integrator of the eighth order, running on GPUs. We considered orbital perturbations from all large bodies in the Solar System and the self-gravity of the cloud fragments. Results. Using a series of numerical experiments, we show that orbital shear causes the fragment cloud to adopt the shape of a triaxial ellipsoid. The shape and alignment of the triaxial ellipsoid are strongly modulated by the cloud’s orbital trajectory and, hence, the impact cross-section of the cloud with respect to the Earth. Therefore, the number of fragments hitting the Earth is strongly influenced by the orbit of the impactor and the time of interception. A minimum number of impacts occur for a well-defined orientation of the impactor rotational axis, depending on the date of interception. Conclusions. To minimise the lethal consequences of an PHA’s impact, a well-constrained interception timing is necessary. A too-early interception may not be ideal for PHAs in the Apollo or Aten groups. Thus, we find that the best time to intercept PHA is when it is at the pericentre of its orbit.

Rockfalls, fragmentation, and dust clouds: analysis of the 2017 Pousset event (Northern Italy)

The process and dynamics of rock fragmentation during the collapse of rockfalls and rock avalanches is a poorly developed topic. The most severe fragmentation often leads to the formation of a rock dust that rises to form a cloud suspended in the air. The understanding of fragmentation processes is hampered by the environmental disturbances that alter the dust cloud deposit shortly after deposition. Here, we study the fragmentation of the October 2017 Pousset rockfall, detached from a NNE facing steep bedrock wall in the permafrost zone, that involved 8,300m3 of metamorphic rock and fell about 800 m. The collapse generated large boulders which rolled downslope and a thick and large dust cloud. The source and deposit were investigated, and dust cloud material was sampled at different locations to reconstruct an exponential thickness distribution and perform grain size characterization. The fragmentation energy was estimated by integrating the spectrum of the grains assuming that the fragmentation energy is proportional to the generated area. The fragmentation energy was found to be about 0.4% of the initial potential energy. Most probable fragmentation points and block deposition areas were evaluated and positioned by means of the HyStone 3D rockfall simulator. Furthermore, we calculated the flow rate of the suspended powder generated by the fragmentation process and compared the results with observations available for the evolution of the phenomenon and the collected samples. The Pousset event, in its relatively simple dynamics, may be a good testing ground to address the current theories of rockfall and rock avalanche fragmentation and dust cloud behavior.

Multiphase fragmentation: Molecular shattering

Abstract Recent observations suggest galaxies may ubiquitously host a molecular component to their multiphase circumgalactic medium (CGM). However, the structure and kinematics of the molecular CGM remains understudied theoretically and largely unconstrained observationally. Recent work suggests molecular gas clouds with efficient cooling survive acceleration in hot winds similar to atomic clouds. Yet the fragmentation of molecular clouds into a large number of fragments (‘shattering’) when subjected to external shocks or undergoing rapid cooling remains unstudied. We perform radiative, inviscid hydrodynamics simulations of clouds perturbed out of pressure equilibrium to explore the process of shattering to molecular temperatures. We find molecular clouds larger than a critical size can shatter into a mist of tiny droplets, with the critical size deviating significantly from the atomic case. We find that cold clouds shatter only if the sound crossing time exceeds the local maximum of the cooling time ∼8000 K. Moreover, we find evidence for a universal mechanism to ‘shatter’ cold clouds into a ‘mist’ of tiny droplets as a result of rotational fragmentation – a process we dub ‘splintering.’ Our results have implications for resolving the molecular phase of the CGM in observations and cosmological simulations.

Unravelling the structure of magnetized molecular clouds with SILCC-Zoom: sheets, filaments, and fragmentation

ABSTRACT To what extent magnetic fields affect how molecular clouds (MCs) fragment and create dense structures is an open question. We present a numerical study of cloud fragmentation using the SILCC-Zoom simulations. These simulations follow the self-consistent formation of MCs in a few hundred parsec-sized region of a stratified galactic disc; and include magnetic fields, self-gravity, supernova-driven turbulence, as well as a non-equilibrium chemical network. To discern the role of magnetic fields in the evolution of MCs, we study seven simulated clouds, five with magnetic fields, and two without, with a maximum resolution of 0.1 parsec. Using a dendrogram, we identify hierarchical structures, which form within the clouds. Overall, the magnetized clouds have more mass in a diffuse envelope with a number density between 1 and 100 cm−3. We find that six out of seven clouds are sheet-like on the largest scales, as also found in recent observations, and with filamentary structures embedded within, consistent with the bubble-driven MC formation mechanism. Hydrodynamic simulations tend to produce more sheet-like structures also on smaller scales, while the presence of magnetic fields promotes filament formation. Analysing cloud energetics, we find that magnetic fields are dynamically important for less dense, mostly but not exclusively atomic structures (typically up to ∼100−1000 cm−3), while the denser, potentially star-forming structures are energetically dominated by self-gravity and turbulence. In addition, we compute the magnetic surface term and demonstrate that it is generally confining, and some atomic structures are even magnetically held together. In general, magnetic fields delay the cloud evolution and fragmentation by ∼ 1 Myr.

Fraction of Clumpy Star-forming Galaxies at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 3 in UVCANDELS: Dependence on Stellar Mass and Environment

High-resolution imaging of galaxies in rest-frame UV has revealed the existence of giant star-forming clumps prevalent in high-redshift galaxies. Studying these substructures provides important information about their formation and evolution and informs theoretical galaxy evolution models. We present a new method to identify clumps in galaxies’ high-resolution rest-frame UV images. Using imaging data from CANDELS and UVCANDELS, we identify star-forming clumps in an HST/F160W ≤ 25 AB mag sample of 6767 galaxies at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 3 in four fields, GOODS-N, GOODS-S, EGS, and COSMOS. We use a low-passband filter in Fourier space to reconstruct the background image of a galaxy and detect small-scale features (clumps) on the background-subtracted image. Clumpy galaxies are defined as those having at least one off-center clump that contributes a minimum of 10% of the galaxy’s total rest-frame UV flux. We measure the fraction of clumpy galaxies (f clumpy) as a function of stellar mass, redshift, and galaxy environment. Our results indicate that f clumpy increases with redshift, reaching ∼65% at z ∼ 1.5. We also find that f clumpy in low-mass galaxies () is 10% higher compared to that of their high-mass counterparts (). Moreover, we find no evidence of significant environmental dependence of f clumpy for galaxies at the redshift range of this study. Our results suggest that the fragmentation of gas clouds under violent disk instability remains the primary driving mechanism for clump formation, and incidents common in dense environments, such as mergers, are not the dominant processes.