Numerical simulations of protostellar disk formation with non-ideal MHD (Nina Filippova, UT Austin) скачать в хорошем качестве

Numerical simulations of protostellar disk formation with non-ideal MHD (Nina Filippova, UT Austin)

Talk given 4/7/2025. Protostellar disks are expected to form early during the star formation process due to conservation of angular momentum throughout the collapse. While recent surveys have resolved disks around hundreds of nearby protostars, numerical simulations assuming ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) have historically struggled to achieve disk formation due to efficient angular momentum removal by magnetic torques – the “magnetic braking catastrophe.” Non-ideal MHD effects, which become relevant at the low ionization fractions typical of molecular clouds, have been shown to reduce the effectiveness of magnetic braking. However, many numerical studies of disk formation also adopt highly-idealized initial conditions of isolated spherical cores collapsing to form individual protostars. This setup may exaggerate the influence of magnetic braking. Furthermore, most stars are born as members of bound systems, and dynamical interactions between stellar neighbors likely affect subsequent disk evolution. A comprehensive study of disk formation and evolution must therefore incorporate both external dynamics as well as increasingly sophisticated physics. In this talk, I will present the results from a suite of numerical calculations following the collapse of turbulent, magnetized 50 solar-mass cores down to the formation of stellar clusters and disks using the 3D radiation+gravity MHD code GIZMO, with additional modules for protostellar feedback developed within the STARFORGE numerical framework. These simulations aim to investigate the effects of including non-ideal MHD and realistic protostellar feedback on disk formation and evolution within the context of multiple star formation.