论文标题
群集组装和Starforge模拟中质量分离的起源
Cluster assembly and the origin of mass segregation in the STARFORGE simulations
论文作者
论文摘要
恒星在密集的,聚集的环境中形成,新形成的恒星的反馈最终会弹出气体,终止恒星形成,并留下一个或多个恒星簇。使用Starforge模拟,可以在分子云中整体模拟该过程,同时明确演变出气体辐射和磁场,并跟随单个低质量恒星的形成。我们发现,单个恒星形成位点合并以形成越来越大的结构,同时仍在吸收气体。因此,群集通过一系列合并组装。在群集组装过程中,从簇中弹出一小部分恒星。我们发现弹出恒星种群的质量分布与簇内恒星的质量分布之间没有显着差异。作为簇的组成部分的星形形成位置开始质量隔离,在其中心被一个或几个巨大的恒星隔离。当它们合并时,新成立的簇维护了这一功能,导致它们具有质量分离的亚结构而不会被集中凝结。合并的簇通过其成员之间的动态相互作用而放松到集中凝结的质量分离构型,但是在反馈从群集中排出剩余的气体之前,此过程没有完成。在模拟中运行无气簇,然后将其脱落并分解。我们发现,湍流驱动和周期性的云几何形状可以显着减少聚类并防止气体排出。同时,尽管恒星形成历史显着不同,但初始表面密度和湍流水平对簇的演变几乎没有定性影响。
Stars form in dense, clustered environments, where feedback from newly formed stars eventually ejects the gas, terminating star formation and leaving behind one or more star clusters. Using the STARFORGE simulations, it is possible to simulate this process in its entirety within a molecular cloud, while explicitly evolving the gas radiation and magnetic fields and following the formation of individual, low-mass stars. We find that individual star-formation sites merge to form ever larger structures, while still accreting gas. Thus clusters are assembled through a series of mergers. During the cluster assembly process a small fraction of stars are ejected from their clusters; we find no significant difference between the mass distribution of the ejected stellar population and that of stars inside clusters. The star-formation sites that are the building blocks of clusters start out mass segregated with one or a few massive stars at their center. As they merge the newly formed clusters maintain this feature, causing them to have mass-segregated substructures without themselves being centrally condensed. The merged clusters relax to a centrally condensed mass segregated configuration through dynamical interactions between their members, but this process does not finish before feedback expels the remaining gas from the cluster. In the simulated runs the gas-free clusters then become unbound and break up. We find that turbulent driving and a periodic cloud geometry can significantly reduce clustering and prevent gas expulsion. Meanwhile, the initial surface density and level of turbulence have little qualitative effect on cluster evolution, despite the significantly different star formation histories.