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Masahiro N. Machida

Publications and source records attributed to Masahiro N. Machida.

148 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

The First Jet in the Universe: Protostellar Jets from the First Stars

The protostellar jets driven by the formation of the first stars are studied by using MHD nested grid simulations. Starting from a slowly rotating spherical cloud of 5.1 times 10^4 Msun permeated by a uniform magnetic field, we follow the evolution from the central number density n = 10^3 cm^-3 to n simeq 10^23 cm^-3. We calculate four models that differ in initial magnetic field strengths and angular velocities. In all models, protostars of simeq 10^-3 Msun are formed at n simeq 10^22 cm^-3 in accordance with one-dimensional calculations. By this epoch, the magnetic flux density is amplified by 10 orders of magnitude from the initial value. Consequently, the formed protostar possesses the magnetic field of \sim 10^6 G that is much larger than the flux density of the present counterparts, reflecting the fact that the dissipation of a magnetic field is ineffective in primordial gas clouds. If the initial magnetic field B > 10^-9 (n/10^3 cm^-3)^2/3 G, the protostellar jet is launched and its velocities reaches \sim 70 km s^-1 by the time the protostellar mass becomes (4-6) times 10^-3 Msun, and a fraction (3-10%) of the accreting matter is blown off from the central region. Owing to the interaction of these ejecta with surrounding matter, expanding bow shocks are created at both heads of the jet. If this jet continues to sweep out the surrounding gas that otherwise accretes onto the central star or circumstellar disk, the final mass of the first star can be substantially reduced. In addition, dense post-shock regions behind the bow shocks are expected to promote the chemical reactions (formation of H_2 and HD), and this provides possible environments for subsequent low-mass star formation in the early universe.

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Second Core Formation and High Speed Jets: Resistive MHD Nested Grid Simulations

The stellar core formation and high speed jets driven by the formed core are studied by using three-dimensional resistive MHD nested grid simulations. Starting with a Bonnor-Ebert isothermal cloud rotating in a uniform magnetic field, we calculate the cloud evolution from the molecular cloud core (n = 10^6 cm^-3, r_c = 4.6 times 10^4 AU) to the stellar core (n \simeq 10^23 cm^-3, r_c \simeq 1 solar radius). We resolve cloud structure over 7 orders of magnitude in spatial extent and over 17 orders of magnitude in density contrast. For comparison, we calculate two models: resistive and ideal MHD models. Both models have the same initial condition, but the former includes dissipation process of magnetic field while the latter does not. The magnetic fluxes in resistive MHD model are extracted from the first core during 10^12 cm^-3 < n < 10^16 cm^-3 by Ohmic dissipation. Magnetic flux density of the formed stellar core (n \simeq 10^20 cm^-3) in resistive MHD model is two orders of magnitude smaller than that in ideal MHD model. Since magnetic braking is less effective in resistive MHD model, rapidly rotating stellar core (the second core) is formed. After stellar core formation, the magnetic field of the core is largely amplified both by magneto-rotational instability and the shearing motion between the stellar core and ambient medium. As a consequence, high speed (simeq 45 km,s^-1) jets are driven by the second core, which results in strong mass ejection. A cocoon-like structure around the second core also forms with clear bow shocks.

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Evolution of Rotating Molecular Cloud Core with Oblique Magnetic Field

We studied the collapse of rotating molecular cloud cores with inclined magnetic fields, based on three-dimensional numerical simulations.The numerical simulations start from a rotating Bonnor-Ebert isothermal cloud in a uniform magnetic field. The magnetic field is initially taken to be inclined from the rotation axis. As the cloud collapses, the magnetic field and rotation axis change their directions. When the rotation is slow and the magnetic field is relatively strong, the direction of the rotation axis changes to align with the magnetic field, as shown earlier by Matsumoto & Tomisaka. When the magnetic field is weak and the rotation is relatively fast, the magnetic field inclines to become perpendicular to the rotation axis. In other words, the evolution of the magnetic field and rotation axis depends on the relative strength of the rotation and magnetic field. Magnetic braking acts to align the rotation axis and magnetic field, while the rotation causes the magnetic field to incline through dynamo action. The latter effect dominates the former when the ratio of the angular velocity to the magnetic field is larger than a critical value Ω_0/ B_0 > 0.39 G^1/2 c_s^-1, where B_0, Ω_0, G, and c_s^-1 denote the initial magnetic field, initial angular velocity, gravitational constant, and sound speed, respectively. When the rotation is relatively strong, the collapsing cloud forms a disk perpendicular to the rotation axis and the magnetic field becomes nearly parallel to the disk surface in the high density region. A spiral structure appears due to the rotation and the wound-up magnetic field in the disk.

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Low-Mass Star Formation, Triggered by Supernova in Primordial Clouds

The evolution of a gas shell, swept by the supernova remnant of a massive first generation star, is studied with H_2 and HD chemistry taken into account. When a first-generation star explodes as a supernova, H_2 and HD molecules are formed in the swept gas shell and effectively cool the gas shell to temperatures of 32 K - 154 K. If the supernova remnant can sweep to gather the ambient gas, the gas shell comes to be dominated by its self-gravity, and hence, is expected to fragment. Our result shows that for a reasonable range of temperatures (200 K - 1000 K) of interstellar gas, the formation of second-generation stars can be triggered by a single supernova or hypernova.

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