Accretion discs, low-mass protostars and planets: probing the impact of magnetic fields on stellar formation

AbstractMagnetic fields play a key role in the early life of stars and their planets, as they form from collapsing dense cores that progressively flatten into large-scale accretion discs and eventually settle as young suns orbited by planetary systems. Pre-main-sequence phases, in which central protostars feed from surrounding planet-forming accretion discs, are especially crucial for understanding how worlds like our Solar System are born.Magnetic fields of low-mass T Tauri stars (TTSs) are detected through high-resolution spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry (e.g., Johns Krull 2007), whereas their large-scale topologies can be inferred from time series of Zeeman signatures using tomographic techniques inspired from medical imaging (Donati & Landstreet 2009). Large-scale fields of TTSs are found to depend on the internal structure of the newborn star, allowing quantitative models of how TTSs magnetically interact with their inner accretion discs, and the impact of this interaction on the subsequent stellar evolution (e.g., Romanova et al. 2002, Zanni & Ferreira 2013).With its high sensitivity to magnetic fields, SPIRou, the new near-infrared spectropolarimeter installed in 2018 at CFHT (Donati et al. 2018), should yield new advances in the field, especially for young embedded class-I protostars, thereby bridging the gap with radio observations.

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Hydrodynamic simulations of disrupted planetary accretion discs inside the core of an AGB star

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/stz2641 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 490 (1) ◽

pp. 1179-1185 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

G Guidarelli ◽

J Nordhaus ◽

L Chamandy ◽

Z Chen ◽

E G Blackman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Fields ◽

White Dwarf ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Asymptotic Giant Branch ◽

Accretion Discs ◽

Giant Star ◽

Hydrodynamic Simulations ◽

Asymptotic Giant Branch Star ◽

The Core ◽

Low Mass

ABSTRACT Volume complete sky surveys provide evidence for a binary origin for the formation of isolated white dwarfs with magnetic fields in excess of a MegaGauss. Interestingly, not a single high-field magnetic white dwarf has been found in a detached system, suggesting that if the progenitors are indeed binaries, the companion must be removed or merge during formation. An origin scenario consistent with observations involves the engulfment, inspiral, and subsequent tidal disruption of a low-mass companion in the interior of a giant star during a common envelope phase. Material from the shredded companion forms a cold accretion disc embedded in the hot ambient around the proto-white dwarf. Entrainment of hot material may evaporate the disc before it can sufficiently amplify the magnetic field, which typically requires at least a few orbits of the disc. Using three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of accretion discs with masses between 1 and 10 times the mass of Jupiter inside the core of an Asymptotic Giant Branch star, we find that the discs survive for at least 10 orbits (and likely for 100 orbits), sufficient for strong magnetic fields to develop.

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How robustly can we constrain the low-mass end of the z ∼ 6−7 stellar mass function? The limits of lensing models and stellar population assumptions in the Hubble Frontier Fields

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/staa3760 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 501 (2) ◽

pp. 1568-1590

Author(s):

Lukas J Furtak ◽

Hakim Atek ◽

Matthew D Lehnert ◽

Jacopo Chevallard ◽

Stéphane Charlot

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Mass Function ◽

Stellar Mass ◽

Star Formation History ◽

Space Telescope ◽

Formation History ◽

Low Mass ◽

Stellar Masses ◽

Dust Attenuation ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT We present new measurements of the very low mass end of the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) at z ∼ 6−7 computed from a rest-frame ultraviolet selected sample of dropout galaxies. These galaxies lie behind the six Hubble Frontier Field clusters and are all gravitationally magnified. Using deep Spitzer/IRAC and Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we derive stellar masses by fitting galaxy spectral energy distributions and explore the impact of different model assumptions and parameter degeneracies on the resulting GSMF. Our sample probes stellar masses down to $M_{\star }\gt 10^{6}\, \text{M}_{\odot}$ and we find the z ∼ 6−7 GSMF to be best parametrized by a modified Schechter function that allows for a turnover at very low masses. Using a Monte Carlo Markov chain analysis of the GSMF, including accurate treatment of lensing uncertainties, we obtain a relatively steep low-mass end slope $\alpha \simeq -1.96_{-0.08}^{+0.09}$ and a turnover at $\log (M_T/\text{M}_{\odot})\simeq 7.10_{-0.56}^{+0.17}$ with a curvature of $\beta \simeq 1.00_{-0.73}^{+0.87}$ for our minimum assumption model with constant star formation history (SFH) and low dust attenuation, AV ≤ 0.2. We find that the z ∼ 6−7 GSMF, in particular its very low mass end, is significantly affected by the assumed functional form of the star formation history and the degeneracy between stellar mass and dust attenuation. For example, the low-mass end slope ranges from $\alpha \simeq -1.82_{-0.07}^{+0.08}$ for an exponentially rising SFH to $\alpha \simeq -2.34_{-0.10}^{+0.11}$ when allowing AV of up to 3.25. Future observations at longer wavelengths and higher angular resolution with the James Webb Space Telescope are required to break these degeneracies and to robustly constrain the stellar mass of galaxies on the extreme low-mass end of the GSMF.

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Exoplanet mass estimation for a sample of targets for the Ariel mission

Experimental Astronomy ◽

10.1007/s10686-021-09758-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

J. R. Barnes ◽

C. A. Haswell

Keyword(s):

Radial Velocity ◽

Input Parameter ◽

Noise Sources ◽

Time Commitment ◽

Low Mass ◽

Time Required ◽

Fixed Input ◽

The Impact ◽

Quadrature Sampling

AbstractAriel’s ambitious goal to survey a quarter of known exoplanets will transform our knowledge of planetary atmospheres. Masses measured directly with the radial velocity technique are essential for well determined planetary bulk properties. Radial velocity masses will provide important checks of masses derived from atmospheric fits or alternatively can be treated as a fixed input parameter to reduce possible degeneracies in atmospheric retrievals. We quantify the impact of stellar activity on planet mass recovery for the Ariel mission sample using Sun-like spot models scaled for active stars combined with other noise sources. Planets with necessarily well-determined ephemerides will be selected for characterisation with Ariel. With this prior requirement, we simulate the derived planet mass precision as a function of the number of observations for a prospective sample of Ariel targets. We find that quadrature sampling can significantly reduce the time commitment required for follow-up RVs, and is most effective when the planetary RV signature is larger than the RV noise. For a typical radial velocity instrument operating on a 4 m class telescope and achieving 1 m s−1 precision, between ~17% and ~ 37% of the time commitment is spent on the 7% of planets with mass Mp < 10 M⊕. In many low activity cases, the time required is limited by asteroseismic and photon noise. For low mass or faint systems, we can recover masses with the same precision up to ~3 times more quickly with an instrumental precision of ~10 cm s−1.

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The impact of magnetic fields on momentum transport and saturation of shear-flow instability by stable modes

Physics of Plasmas ◽

10.1063/5.0034575 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 022309

Author(s):

A. E. Fraser ◽

P. W. Terry ◽

E. G. Zweibel ◽

M. J. Pueschel ◽

J. M. Schroeder

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Fields ◽

Shear Flow ◽

Flow Instability ◽

Momentum Transport ◽

Shear Flow Instability ◽

The Impact

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No-z Model for Magnetic Fields of Different Astrophysical Objects and Stability of the Solutions

Data ◽

10.3390/data6010004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 4

Author(s):

Evgeny Mikhailov ◽

Daniela Boneva ◽

Maria Pashentseva

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Magnetic Fields ◽

Large Scale ◽

Point Of View ◽

Accretion Discs ◽

Wide Range ◽

Astrophysical Objects ◽

Alpha Effect ◽

The Stability ◽

The Magnetic Field

A wide range of astrophysical objects, such as the Sun, galaxies, stars, planets, accretion discs etc., have large-scale magnetic fields. Their generation is often based on the dynamo mechanism, which is connected with joint action of the alpha-effect and differential rotation. They compete with the turbulent diffusion. If the dynamo is intensive enough, the magnetic field grows, else it decays. The magnetic field evolution is described by Steenbeck—Krause—Raedler equations, which are quite difficult to be solved. So, for different objects, specific two-dimensional models are used. As for thin discs (this shape corresponds to galaxies and accretion discs), usually, no-z approximation is used. Some of the partial derivatives are changed by the algebraic expressions, and the solenoidality condition is taken into account as well. The field generation is restricted by the equipartition value and saturates if the field becomes comparable with it. From the point of view of mathematical physics, they can be characterized as stable points of the equations. The field can come to these values monotonously or have oscillations. It depends on the type of the stability of these points, whether it is a node or focus. Here, we study the stability of such points and give examples for astrophysical applications.

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Processes controlling the initial mass function: interstellar turbulence and magnetic fields

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900239806 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 147 ◽

pp. 407-408

Author(s):

R. C. Fleck

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Fields ◽

Mass Function ◽

Diffusion Time ◽

Interstellar Cloud ◽

Initial Mass Function ◽

Mass Scaling ◽

Interstellar Turbulence ◽

Time Scaling ◽

Turbulent Pressure ◽

Low Mass

The observed flattening of the initial stellar mass function at low mass can be accounted for in terms of the different interstellar cloud size-mass scaling and different ambipolar diffusion time scaling for small, thermally-supported clouds and larger clouds supported primarily by turbulent pressure.

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Mixing Uncertainties in Low-Metallicity AGB Stars: The Impact on Stellar Structure and Nucleosynthesis

Universe ◽

10.3390/universe7020025 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 25

Author(s):

Umberto Battino ◽

Claudia Lederer-Woods ◽

Borbála Cseh ◽

Pavel Denissenkov ◽

Falk Herwig

Keyword(s):

Stellar Structure ◽

Process Efficiency ◽

Agb Stars ◽

Mixing Processes ◽

Data Set ◽

Convective Envelope ◽

Capture Process ◽

Low Metallicity ◽

Low Mass ◽

The Impact

The slow neutron-capture process (s-process) efficiency in low-mass AGB stars (1.5 < M/M⊙ < 3) critically depends on how mixing processes in stellar interiors are handled, which is still affected by considerable uncertainties. In this work, we compute the evolution and nucleosynthesis of low-mass AGB stars at low metallicities using the MESA stellar evolution code. The combined data set includes models with initial masses Mini/M⊙=2 and 3 for initial metallicities Z=0.001 and 0.002. The nucleosynthesis was calculated for all relevant isotopes by post-processing with the NuGrid mppnp code. Using these models, we show the impact of the uncertainties affecting the main mixing processes on heavy element nucleosynthesis, such as convection and mixing at convective boundaries. We finally compare our theoretical predictions with observed surface abundances on low-metallicity stars. We find that mixing at the interface between the He-intershell and the CO-core has a critical impact on the s-process at low metallicities, and its importance is comparable to convective boundary mixing processes under the convective envelope, which determine the formation and size of the 13C-pocket. Additionally, our results indicate that models with very low to no mixing below the He-intershell during thermal pulses, and with a 13C-pocket size of at least ∼3 × 10−4 M⊙, are strongly favored in reproducing observations. Online access to complete yield data tables is also provided.

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