arXiv subjects

Fabian Heitsch

Publications and source records attributed to Fabian Heitsch.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

The Green Bank Ammonia Survey: Data Release 2

We present an overview of the final data release (DR2) from the Green Bank Ammonia Survey (GAS). GAS is a Large Program at the Green Bank Telescope to map all Gould Belt star-forming regions with $A_\mathrm{V} \gtrsim 7$~mag visible from the northern hemisphere in emission from NH$_3$ and other key molecular tracers. This final release includes the data for all the regions observed: Heiles Cloud 2 and B18 in Taurus; Barnard 1, Barnard 1-E, IC348, NGC 1333, L1448, L1451, and Per7/34 in Perseus; L1688 and L1689 in Ophiuchus; Orion A (North and South) and Orion B in Orion; Cepheus, B59 in Pipe; Corona Australis (CrA) East and West; IC5146; and Serpens Aquila and MWC297 in Serpens. Similar to what was presented in GAS DR1, we find that the NH$_3$ emission and dust continuum emission from Herschel correspond closely. We find that the NH$_3$ emission is generally extended beyond the typical 0.1 pc length scales of dense cores, and we find that the transition between coherent core and turbulent cloud is a common result. This shows that the regions of coherence are common throughout different star forming regions, with a substantial fraction of the high column density regions displaying subsonic non-thermal velocity dispersions. We produce maps of the gas kinematics, temperature, and NH$_3$ column densities through forward modeling of the hyperfine structure of the NH$_3$ (1,1) and (2,2) lines. We show that the NH$_3$ velocity dispersion, $\sigma_v$, and gas kinetic temperature, $T_{\rm kin}$, vary systematically between the regions included in this release, with an increase in both the mean value and spread of $\sigma_v$ and $T_{\rm kin}$ with increasing star formation activity. The data presented in this paper are publicly available via \dataset[DOI: 10.11570/24.0091]{https://doi.org/10.11570/24.0091}.

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arXiv2024

A Co-Scaling Grid for Athena++ II: Magnetohydrodynamics

We extend the co-scaling formalism of Habegger & Heitsch (2021) implemented in Athena++ to magneto-hydrodynamics. The formalism relies on flow symmetries in astrophysical problems involving expansion, contraction, and center-of-mass motion. The formalism is fully consistent with the upwind constrained transport method implemented in Athena++ and is accurate to 2nd order in space. Applying our implementation to standard magneto-hydrodynamic test cases leads to improved results and higher efficiency, compared to the fixed-grid solutions.

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arXiv2021

A Co-Scaling Grid for Athena++

We present a co-scaling grid formalism and its implementation in the magnetohydrodynamics code Athena++. The formalism relies on flow symmetries in astrophysical problems involving expansion, contraction, and center-of-mass motion. The grid is evolved at the same time order as the fluid variables. The user specifies grid evolution laws, which can be independent of the fluid motion. Applying our implementation to standard hydrodynamic test cases leads to improved results and higher efficiency, compared to the fixed-grid solutions.

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arXiv2020

Angular Momenta, Magnetization, and Accretion of Protostellar Cores

Building on our previous hydrodynamic study of the angular momenta of cloud cores formed during gravitational collapse of star-forming molecular gas in our previous work, we now examine core properties assuming ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). Using the same sink-patch implementation for the \emph{Athena} MHD code, we characterize the statistical properties of cores, including the mass accretion rates, specific angular momenta, and alignments between the magnetic field and the spin axis of the core on the $0.1 \ \mathrm{pc}$ scale. Our simulations, which reproduce the observed relation between magnetic field strength and gas density, show that magnetic fields can help collimate low density flows and help seed the locations of filamentary structures. Consistent with our previous purely hydrodynamic simulations, stars (sinks) form within the heterogeneous environments of filaments, such that accretion onto cores is highly episodic leading to short-term variability but no long-term monotonic growth of the specific angular momenta. With statistical characterization of protostellar cores properties and behaviors, we aim to provide a starting point for building more realistic and self-consistent disk formation models, helping to address whether magnetic fields can prevent the development of (large) circumstellar disks in the ideal MHD limit.

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arXiv2019

Gas Inflow and Star Formation near Supermassive Black Holes: The Role of Nuclear Activity

Numerical models of gas inflow towards a supermassive black hole (SMBH) show that star formation may occur in such an environment through the growth of a gravitationally unstable gas disc. We consider the effect of nuclear activity on such a scenario. We present the first three-dimensional grid-based radiative hydrodynamic simulations of direct collisions between infalling gas streams and a $4 \times 10^6~\text{M}_\odot$ SMBH, using ray-tracing to incorporate radiation consistent with an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We assume inflow masses of $ \approx 10^5~\text{M}_\odot$ and explore radiation fields of 10% and 100% of the Eddington luminosity ($L_\text{edd}$). We follow our models to the point of central gas disc formation preceding star formation and use the Toomre Q parameter ($Q_T$) to test for gravitational instability. We find that radiation pressure from UV photons inhibits inflow. Yet, for weak radiation fields, a central disc forms on timescales similar to that of models without feedback. Average densities of $> 10^{8}~\text{cm}^{-3}$ limit photo-heating to the disc surface allowing for $Q_T\approx1$. For strong radiation fields, the disc forms more gradually resulting in lower surface densities and larger $Q_T$ values. Mass accretion rates in our models are consistent with 1%--60% of the Eddington limit, thus we conclude that it is unlikely that radiative feedback from AGN activity would inhibit circumnuclear star formation arising from a massive inflow event.

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arXiv2019

The Origins of Protostellar Core Angular Momenta

We present the results of a suite of numerical simulations designed to explore the origin of the angular momenta of protostellar cores. Using the hydrodynamic grid code \emph{Athena} with a sink implementation, we follow the formation of protostellar cores and protostars (sinks) from the subvirial collapse of molecular clouds on larger scales to investigate the range and relative distribution of core properties. We find that the core angular momenta are relatively unaffected by large-scale rotation of the parent cloud; instead, we infer that angular momenta are mainly imparted by torques between neighboring mass concentrations and exhibit a log-normal distribution. Our current simulation results are limited to size scales $\sim 0.05$~pc ($\sim 10^4 \rm AU$), but serve as first steps toward the ultimate goal of providing initial conditions for higher-resolution studies of core collapse to form protoplanetary disks.

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arXiv2018

The Role of Gravity in Producing Power-Law Mass Functions

Numerical simulations of star formation have found that a power-law mass function can develop at high masses. In a previous paper, we employed isothermal simulations which created large numbers of sinks over a large range in masses to show that the power law exponent of the mass function, $dN/d\log M \propto M^Γ$, asymptotically and accurately approaches $Γ= -1.$ Simple analytic models show that such a power law can develop if the mass accretion rate $\dot{M} \propto M^2$, as in Bondi-Hoyle accretion; however, the sink mass accretion rates in the simulations show significant departures from this relation. In this paper we show that the expected accretion rate dependence is more closely realized provided the gravitating mass is taken to be the sum of the sink mass and the mass in the near environment. This reconciles the observed mass functions with the accretion rate dependencies, and demonstrates that power-law upper mass functions are essentially the result of gravitational focusing, a mechanism present in, for example, the competitive accretion model.

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arXiv2018

Exploring the Dust Content of Galactic Winds With Herschel. II. Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

We present the results from an analysis of deep Herschel Space Observatory observations of six nearby dwarf galaxies known to host galactic-scale winds. The superior far-infrared sensitivity and angular resolution of Herschel have allowed detection of cold circumgalactic dust features beyond the stellar components of the host galaxies traced by Spitzer 4.5 $μ$m images. Comparisons of these cold dust features with ancillary data reveal an imperfect spatial correlation with the ionized gas and warm dust wind components. We find that typically $\sim$10-20\% of the total dust mass in these galaxies resides outside of their stellar disks, but this fraction reaches $\sim$60\% in the case of NGC 1569. This galaxy also has the largest metallicity (O/H) deficit in our sample for its stellar mass. Overall, the small number of objects in our sample precludes drawing strong conclusions on the origin of the circumgalactic dust. We detect no statistically significant trends with star formation properties of the host galaxies, as might be expected if the dust were lifted above the disk by energy inputs from on-going star formation activity. Although a case for dust entrained in a galactic wind is seen in NGC 1569, in all cases, we cannot rule out the possibility that some of the circumgalactic dust might be associated instead with gas accreted or removed from the disk by recent galaxy interaction events, or that it is part of the outer gas-rich portion of the disk that lies below the sensitivity limit of the Spitzer 4.5 $μ$m data.

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arXiv2017

Reorienting MHD Colliding Flows: A Shock Physics Mechanism for Generating Filaments Normal to Magnetic Fields

We present numerical simulations of reorienting oblique shocks that form in the collision layer between magnetized colliding flows. Reorientation aligns parsec-scale post-shock filaments normal to the background magnetic field. We find that reorientation begins with pressure gradients between the collision region and the ambient medium. This drives a lateral expansion of post-shock gas, which reorients the growing filament from the outside-in (i.e. from the flow-ambient boundary, toward the colliding flows axis). The final structures of our simulations resemble polarization observations of filaments in Taurus and Serpens South, as well as the integral-shaped filament in Orion A. Given the ubiquity of colliding flows in the interstellar medium, shock reorientation may be relevant to the formation of filaments normal to magnetic fields.

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arXiv2017

A systematic comparison of two-equation RANS turbulence models applied to shock-cloud interactions

Turbulence models attempt to account for unresolved dynamics and diffusion in hydrodynamical simulations. We develop a common framework for two-equation Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models, and we implement six models in the Athena code. We verify each implementation with the standard subsonic mixing layer, although the level of agreement depends on the definition of the mixing layer width. We then test the validity of each model into the supersonic regime, showing that compressibility corrections can improve agreement with experiment. For models with buoyancy effects, we also verify our implementation via the growth of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a stratified medium. The models are then applied to the ubiquitous astrophysical shock-cloud interaction in three dimensions. We focus on the mixing of shock and cloud material, comparing results from turbulence models to high-resolution simulations (up to 200 cells per cloud radius) and ensemble-averaged simulations. We find that the turbulence models lead to increased spreading and mixing of the cloud, although no two models predict the same result. Increased mixing is also observed in inviscid simulations at resolutions greater than 100 cells per radius, which suggests that the turbulent mixing begins to be resolved.

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arXiv2016

The impact of magnetic fields on the chemical evolution of the supernova-driven ISM

We present three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamical simulations of the self-gravitating interstellar medium (ISM) in a periodic (256 pc)$^3$ box with a mean number density of 0.5 cm$^{-3}$. At a fixed supernova rate we investigate the multi-phase ISM structure, H$_{2}$ molecule formation and density-magnetic field scaling for varying initial magnetic field strengths (0, $6\times 10^{-3}$, 0.3, 3 $μ$G). All magnetic runs saturate at mass weighted field strengths of $\sim$ 1 $-$ 3 $μ$G but the ISM structure is notably different. With increasing initial field strengths (from $6\times 10^{-3}$ to 3 $μ$G) the simulations develop an ISM with a more homogeneous density and temperature structure, with increasing mass (from 5% to 85%) and volume filling fractions (from 4% to 85%) of warm (300 K $<$ T $<$ 8000 K) gas, with decreasing volume filling fractions (VFF) from $\sim$ 35% to $\sim$ 12% of hot gas (T $> 10^5$ K) and with a decreasing H$_{2}$ mass fraction (from 70% to $<$ 1%). Meanwhile the mass fraction of gas in which the magnetic pressure dominates over the thermal pressure increases by a factor of 10, from 0.07 for an initial field of $6\times 10^{-3}$ $μ$G to 0.7 for a 3 $μ$G initial field. In all but the simulations with the highest initial field strength self-gravity promotes the formation of dense gas and H$_{2}$, but does not change any other trends. We conclude that magnetic fields have a significant impact on the multi-phase, chemical and thermal structure of the ISM and discuss potential implications and limitations of the model.

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arXiv2016

Structure, Dynamics and Deuterium Fractionation of Massive Pre-Stellar Cores

High levels of deuterium fraction in N$_2$H$^+$ are observed in some pre-stellar cores. Single-zone chemical models find that the timescale required to reach observed values ($D_{\rm frac}^{{\rm N}_2{\rm H}^+} \equiv {\rm N}_2{\rm D}^+/{\rm N}_2{\rm H}^+ \gtrsim 0.1$) is longer than the free-fall time, possibly ten times longer. Here, we explore the deuteration of turbulent, magnetized cores with 3D magnetohydrodynamics simulations. We use an approximate chemical model to follow the growth in abundances of N$_2$H$^+$ and N$_2$D$^+$. We then examine the dynamics of the core using each tracer for comparison to observations. We find that the velocity dispersion of the core as traced by N$_2$D$^+$ appears slightly sub-virial compared to predictions of the Turbulent Core Model of McKee & Tan, except at late times just before the onset of protostar formation. By varying the initial mass surface density, the magnetic energy, the chemical age, and the ortho-to-para ratio of H$_2$, we also determine the physical and temporal properties required for high deuteration. We find that low initial ortho-to-para ratios ($\lesssim 0.01$) and/or multiple free-fall times ($\gtrsim 3$) of prior chemical evolution are necessary to reach the observed values of deuterium fraction in pre-stellar cores.

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arXiv2016

Chemical enrichment of the pre-solar cloud by supernova dust grains

The presence of short-lived radioisotopes (SLRs) in solar system meteorites has been interpreted as evidence that the solar system was exposed to a supernova shortly before or during its formation. Yet results from hydrodynamical models of SLR injection into the proto-solar cloud or disc suggest that gas-phase mixing may not be efficient enough to reproduce the observed abundances. As an alternative, we explore the injection of SLRs via dust grains as a way to overcome the mixing barrier. We numerically model the interaction of a supernova remnant containing SLR-rich dust grains with a nearby molecular cloud. The dust grains are subject to drag forces and both thermal and non-thermal sputtering. We confirm that the expanding gas shell stalls upon impact with the dense cloud and that gas-phase SLR injection occurs slowly due to hydrodynamical instabilities at the cloud surface. In contrast, dust grains of sufficient size (> 1 micron) decouple from the gas and penetrate into the cloud within 0.1 Myr. Once inside the cloud, the dust grains are destroyed by sputtering, releasing SLRs and rapidly enriching the dense (potentially star-forming) regions. Our results suggest that SLR transport on dust grains is a viable mechanism to explain SLR enrichment.

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arXiv2016

Starburst Driven Galactic Superbubbles Radiating to 10 K

Our three-dimensional hydro-dynamical simulations of starbursts examine the formation of superbubbles over a range of driving luminosities and mass loadings that determine superbubble growth and wind velocity. From this we determine the relationship between the velocity of a galactic wind and the power of the starburst. We find a threshold for the formation of a wind, above which the speed of the wind is not affected by grid resolution or the temperature floor of our radiative cooling. We investigate the effect two different temperature floors in our radiative cooling prescription have on wind kinematics and content. We find that cooling to $10$ K instead of to $10^4$ K increases the mass fraction of cold neutral and hot X-ray gas in the galactic wind while halving that in warm H$α$. Our simulations show the mass of cold gas transported into the lower halo does not depend on the starburst strength. Optically bright filaments form at the edge of merging superbubbles, or where a cold dense cloud has been disrupted by the wind. Filaments formed by merging superbubbles will persist and grow to $>400$ pc in length if anchored to a star forming complex. Filaments embedded in the hot galactic wind contain warm and cold gas that moves $300-1200$ km s$^{-1}$ slower than the surrounding wind, with the coldest gas hardly moving with respect to the galaxy. Warm and cold matter in the galactic wind show asymmetric absorption profiles consistent with observations, with a thin tail up to the wind velocity.

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arXiv2016

Scaling Relations of Starburst-Driven Galactic Winds

Using synthetic absorption lines generated from 3D hydro-dynamical simulations we explore how the velocity of a starburst-driven galactic wind correlates with the star formation rate (SFR) and SFR density. We find strong correlations until the scaling relations flatten abruptly at a point set by the mass loading of the starburst. Below this point the scaling relation depends on the temperature regime being probed by the absorption line, not on the mass loading. The exact scaling relation depends on whether the maximum or mean velocity of the absorption line is used. We find that the outflow velocity of neutral gas is four to five times lower than the average velocity of the hottest gas, with the difference in velocity between the neutral and ionized gas increasing with gas ionization. Thus, absorption lines of neutral or low ionized gas will underestimate the outflow velocity of hot gas, severely underestimating outflow energetics.

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arXiv2016

Molecular cloud formation in high-shear, magnetized colliding flows

The colliding flows (CF) model is a well-supported mechanism for generating molecular clouds. However, to-date most CF simulations have focused on the formation of clouds in the normal-shock layer between head-on colliding flows. We performed simulations of magnetized colliding flows that instead meet at an oblique-shock layer. Oblique shocks generate shear in the post-shock environment, and this shear creates inhospitable environments for star formation. As the degree of shear increases (i.e. the obliquity of the shock increases), we find that it takes longer for sink particles to form, they form in lower numbers, and they tend to be less massive. With regard to magnetic fields, we find that even a weak field stalls gravitational collapse within forming clouds. Additionally, an initially oblique collision interface tends to reorient over time in the presence of a magnetic field, so that it becomes normal to the oncoming flows. This was demonstrated by our most oblique shock interface, which became fully normal by the end of the simulation.

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arXiv2015

On the Metallicity and Origin of the Smith High-Velocity Cloud

The Smith Cloud is a gaseous high-velocity cloud (HVC) in an advanced state of accretion, only 2.9 kpc below the Galactic plane and due to impact the disk in 27 Myr. It is unique among HVCs in having a known distance (12.4+/-1.3 kpc) and a well-constrained 3D velocity (296 km/s), but its origin has long remained a mystery. Here we present the first absorption-line measurements of its metallicity, using HST/COS UV spectra of three AGN lying behind the Cloud together with Green Bank Telescope 21 cm spectra of the same directions. Using Voigt-profile fitting of the S II 1250, 1253, 1259 triplet together with ionization corrections derived from photoionization modeling, we derive the sulfur abundance in each direction; a weighted average of the three measurements gives [S/H]=-0.28+/-0.14, or 0.53+0.21-0.15 solar metallicity. The finding that the Smith Cloud is metal-enriched lends support to scenarios where it represents recycled Galactic material rather than the remnant of a dwarf galaxy or accreting intergalactic gas. The metallicity and trajectory of the Cloud are both indicative of an origin in the outer disk. However, its large mass and prograde kinematics remain to be fully explained. If the cloud has accreted cooling gas from the corona during its fountain trajectory, as predicted in recent theoretical work, its current mass would be higher than its launch mass, alleviating the mass concern.

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arXiv2014

Accretion and Diffusion Timescales in Sheets and Filaments

A comparison of accretion and (turbulent) magnetic diffusion timescales for sheets and filaments demonstrates that dense star-forming clouds generally will -- under realistic conditions -- become supercritical due to mass accretion on timescales at least an order of magnitude shorter than ambipolar and/or turbulent diffusion timescales. Thus, ambipolar or turbulent diffusion -- while present -- is unlikely to control the formation of cores and stars.

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