Radiation-Hydrodynamical Collapse of Pregalactic Clouds in the Ultraviolet Background

Abstract

To elucidate the effects of the UV background radiation on the collapse of pregalactic clouds, we implement a radiation-hydrodynamical calculation, combining one-dimensional spherical hydrodynamics with an accurate treatment of the radiative transfer of ionizing photons. Both absorption and scattering of UV photons are explicitly taken into account. It turns out that a gas cloud contracting within the dark matter potential does not settle into hydrostatic equilibrium, but undergoes run-away collapse even under the presence of the external UV field. The cloud center is shown to become self-shielded against ionizing photons by radiative transfer effects before shrinking to the rotation barrier. Based on our simulation results, we further discuss the possibility of H2 cooling and subsequent star formation in a run-away collapsing core. The present results are closely relevant to the survival of subgalactic Population III objects as well as to metal injection into intergalactic space.