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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 631 records · Page 35
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DOE OSTI2013

PHOTOSPHERIC EMISSION AS THE DOMINANT RADIATION MECHANISM IN LONG-DURATION GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

We present the results of a set of numerical simulations of long-duration gamma-ray burst jets associated with massive, compact stellar progenitors. The simulations extend to large radii and allow us to locate the region in which the peak frequency of the advected radiation is set before the radiation is released at the photosphere. Light curves and spectra are calculated for different viewing angles as well as different progenitor structures and jet properties. We find that the radiation released at the photosphere of matter-dominated jets is able to reproduce the observed Amati and energy-Lorentz factor correlations. Our simulations also predict a correlation between the burst energy and the radiative efficiency of the prompt phase, consistent with observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MAGNETIZED ACCRETION AND DEAD ZONES IN PROTOSTELLAR DISKS

The edges of magnetically dead zones in protostellar disks have been proposed as locations where density bumps may arise, trapping planetesimals and helping form planets. Magneto-rotational turbulence in magnetically active zones provides both accretion of gas on the star and transport of mass to the dead zone. We investigate the location of the magnetically active regions in a protostellar disk around a solar-type star, varying the disk temperature, surface density profile, and dust-to-gas ratio. We also consider stellar masses between 0.4 and 2 M{sub Sun }, with corresponding adjustments in the disk mass and temperature. The dead zone's size and shape are found using the Elsasser number criterion with conductivities including the contributions from ions, electrons, and charged fractal dust aggregates. The charged species' abundances are found using the approach proposed by Okuzumi. The dead zone is in most cases defined by the ambipolar diffusion. In our maps, the dead zone takes a variety of shapes, including a fish tail pointing away from the star and islands located on and off the midplane. The corresponding accretion rates vary with radius, indicating locations where the surface density will increase over time, and others where it will decrease. We show that density bumps do not readily grow near the dead zone's outer edge, independently of the disk parameters and the dust properties. Instead, the accretion rate peaks at the radius where the gas-phase metals freeze out. This could lead to clearing a valley in the surface density, and to a trap for pebbles located just outside the metal freezeout line.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

UNVEILING THE DETAILED DENSITY AND VELOCITY STRUCTURES OF THE PROTOSTELLAR CORE B335

We present an observational study of the protostellar core B335 harboring a low-mass Class 0 source. The observations of the H{sup 13}CO{sup +}(J = 1-0) line emission were carried out using the Nobeyama 45 m telescope and Nobeyama Millimeter Array. Our combined image of the interferometer and single-dish data depicts detailed structures of the dense envelope within the core. We found that the core has a radial density profile of n(r){proportional_to}r {sup -p} and a reliable difference in the power-law indices between the outer and inner regions of the core: p Almost-Equal-To 2 for r {approx}> 4000 AU and p Almost-Equal-To 1.5 for r {approx}< 4000 AU. The dense core shows a slight overall velocity gradient of {approx}1.0 km s{sup -1} over the scale of 20, 000 AU across the outflow axis. We believe that this velocity gradient represents a solid-body-like rotation of the core. The dense envelope has a quite symmetrical velocity structure with a remarkable line broadening toward the core center, which is especially prominent in the position-velocity diagram across the outflow axis. The model calculations of position-velocity diagrams do a good job of reproducing observational results using the collapse model of an isothermal sphere in which the core has an inner free-fall region and an outer region conserving the conditions at the formation stage of a central stellar object. We derived a central stellar mass of {approx}0.1 M{sub Sun }, and suggest a small inward velocity, v{sub r{>=}r{sub i{sub n{sub f}}}}{approx}0 km s{sup -1} in the outer core at {approx}> 4000 AU. We concluded that our data can be well explained by gravitational collapse with a quasi-static initial condition, such as Shu's model, or by the isothermal collapse of a marginally critical Bonnor-Ebert sphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE INTERIOR STRUCTURE CONSTANTS AS AN AGE DIAGNOSTIC FOR LOW-MASS, PRE-MAIN-SEQUENCE DETACHED ECLIPSING BINARY STARS

We propose a novel method for determining the ages of low-mass, pre-main-sequence stellar systems using the apsidal motion of low-mass detached eclipsing binaries. The apsidal motion of a binary system with an eccentric orbit provides information regarding the interior structure constants of the individual stars. These constants are related to the normalized stellar interior density distribution and can be extracted from the predictions of stellar evolution models. We demonstrate that low-mass, pre-main-sequence stars undergoing radiative core contraction display rapidly changing interior structure constants (greater than 5% per 10 Myr) that, when combined with observational determinations of the interior structure constants (with 5%-10% precision), allow for a robust age estimate. This age estimate, unlike those based on surface quantities, is largely insensitive to the surface layer where effects of magnetic activity are likely to be most pronounced. On the main sequence, where age sensitivity is minimal, the interior structure constants provide a valuable test of the physics used in stellar structure models of low-mass stars. There are currently no known systems where this technique is applicable. Nevertheless, the emphasis on time domain astronomy with current missions, such as Kepler, and future missions, such as LSST, has the potential to discover systems where the proposed method will be observationally feasible.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE HERSCHEL AND JCMT GOULD BELT SURVEYS: CONSTRAINING DUST PROPERTIES IN THE PERSEUS B1 CLUMP WITH PACS, SPIRE, AND SCUBA-2

We present Herschel observations from the Herschel Gould Belt Survey and SCUBA-2 science verification observations from the JCMT Gould Belt Survey of the B1 clump in the Perseus molecular cloud. We determined the dust emissivity index using four different techniques to combine the Herschel PACS+SPIRE data at 160-500 {mu}m with the SCUBA-2 data at 450 {mu}m and 850 {mu}m. Of our four techniques, we found that the most robust method was filtering out the large-scale emission in the Herschel bands to match the spatial scales recovered by the SCUBA-2 reduction pipeline. Using this method, we find {beta} Almost-Equal-To 2 toward the filament region and moderately dense material and lower {beta} values ({beta} {approx}> 1.6) toward the dense protostellar cores, possibly due to dust grain growth. We find that {beta} and temperature are more robust with the inclusion of the SCUBA-2 data, improving estimates from Herschel data alone by factors of {approx}2 for {beta} and by {approx}40% for temperature. Furthermore, we find core mass differences of {approx}< 30% compared to Herschel-only estimates with an adopted {beta} = 2, highlighting the necessity of long-wavelength submillimeter data for deriving accurate masses of prestellar and protostellar cores.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

SUPERNOVA LIGHT CURVES POWERED BY FALLBACK ACCRETION

Some fraction of the material ejected in a core collapse supernova explosion may remain bound to the compact remnant, and eventually turn around and fall back. We show that the late time ({approx}>days) power potentially associated with the accretion of this 'fallback' material could significantly affect the optical light curve, in some cases producing super-luminous or otherwise peculiar supernovae. We use spherically symmetric hydrodynamical models to estimate the accretion rate at late times for a range of progenitor masses and radii and explosion energies. The accretion rate onto the proto-neutron star or black hole decreases as M-dot {proportional_to}t{sup -5/3} at late times, but its normalization can be significantly enhanced at low explosion energies, in very massive stars, or if a strong reverse shock wave forms at the helium/hydrogen interface in the progenitor. If the resulting super-Eddington accretion drives an outflow which thermalizes in the outgoing ejecta, the supernova debris will be re-energized at a time when photons can diffuse out efficiently. The resulting light curves are different and more diverse than previous fallback supernova models which ignored the input of accretion power and produced short-lived, dim transients. The possible outcomes when fallback accretion power is significant include super-luminous ({approx}> 10{sup 44} erg s{sup -1}) Type II events of both short and long durations, as well as luminous Type I events from compact stars that may have experienced significant mass loss. Accretion power may unbind the remaining infalling material, causing a sudden decrease in the brightness of some long duration Type II events. This scenario may be relevant for explaining some of the recently discovered classes of peculiar and rare supernovae.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

UNDERSTANDING THE ORIGIN OF THE [O I] LOW-VELOCITY COMPONENT FROM T TAURI STARS

The formation time, masses, and location of planets are strongly impacted by the physical mechanisms that disperse protoplanetary disks and the timescale over which protoplanetary material is cleared out. Accretion of matter onto the central star, protostellar winds/jets, magnetic disk winds, and photoevaporative winds operate concurrently. Hence, disentangling their relative contribution to disk dispersal requires identifying diagnostics that trace different star-disk environments. Here, we analyze the low-velocity component (LVC) of the oxygen optical forbidden lines, which is found to be blueshifted by a few km s{sup -1} with respect to the stellar velocity. We find that the [O I] LVC profiles are different from those of [Ne II] at 12.81 {mu}m and CO at 4.7 {mu}m lines pointing to different origins for these gas lines. We report a correlation between the luminosity of the [O I] LVC and the accretion luminosity L{sub acc}. We do not find any correlation with the X-ray luminosity, while we find that the higher is the stellar far-UV (FUV) luminosity, the higher is the luminosity of the [O I] LVC. In addition, we show that the [O I] {lambda}6300/{lambda}5577 ratio is low (ranging between 1 and 8). These findings favor an origin of the [O I] LVC in a region where OH is photodissociated by stellar FUV photons and argue against thermal emission from an X-ray-heated layer. Detailed modeling of two spectra with the highest S/N and resolution shows that there are two components within the LVC: a broad, centrally peaked component that can be attributed to gas arising in a warm disk surface in Keplerian rotation (with FWHM between {approx}40 and {approx}60 km s{sup -1}), and a narrow component (with FWHM {approx} 10 km s{sup -1} and small blueshifts of {approx}2 km s{sup -1}) that may arise in a cool ({approx}<1000 K) molecular wind.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

EARLIEST STAGES OF PROTOCLUSTER FORMATION: SUBSTRUCTURE AND KINEMATICS OF STARLESS CORES IN ORION

We study the structure and kinematics of nine 0.1 pc scale cores in Orion with the IRAM 30 m telescope and at higher resolution eight of the cores with CARMA, using CS(2-1) as the main tracer. The single-dish moment zero maps of the starless cores show single structures with central column densities ranging from 7 to 42 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 23} cm{sup -2} and LTE masses from 20 M{sub Sun} to 154 M{sub Sun }. However, at the higher CARMA resolution (5''), all of the cores except one fragment into 3-5 components. The number of fragments is small compared to that found in some turbulent fragmentation models, although inclusion of magnetic fields may reduce the predicted fragment number and improve the model agreement. This result demonstrates that fragmentation from parsec-scale molecular clouds to sub-parsec cores continues to take place inside the starless cores. The starless cores and their fragments are embedded in larger filamentary structures, which likely played a role in the core formation and fragmentation. Most cores show clear velocity gradients, with magnitudes ranging from 1.7 to 14.3 km s{sup -1} pc{sup -1}. We modeled one of them in detail, and found that its spectra are best explained by a converging flow along a filament toward the core center; the gradients in other cores may be modeled similarly. We infer a mass inflow rate of {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3} M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}, which is in principle high enough to overcome radiation pressure and allow for massive star formation. However, the core contains multiple fragments, and it is unclear whether the rapid inflow would feed the growth of primarily a single massive star or a cluster of lower mass objects. We conclude that fast, supersonic converging flow along filaments play an important role in massive star and cluster formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

HERSCHEL-ATLAS: A BINARY HyLIRG PINPOINTING A CLUSTER OF STARBURSTING PROTOELLIPTICALS

Panchromatic observations of the best candidate hyperluminous infrared galaxies from the widest Herschel extragalactic imaging survey have led to the discovery of at least four intrinsically luminous z = 2.41 galaxies across an Almost-Equal-To 100 kpc region-a cluster of starbursting protoellipticals. Via subarcsecond interferometric imaging we have measured accurate gas and star formation surface densities. The two brightest galaxies span {approx}3 kpc FWHM in submillimeter/radio continuum and CO J = 4-3, and double that in CO J = 1-0. The broad CO line is due partly to the multitude of constituent galaxies and partly to large rotational velocities in two counter-rotating gas disks-a scenario predicted to lead to the most intense starbursts, which will therefore come in pairs. The disks have M{sub dyn} of several Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11} M{sub Sun }, and gas fractions of {approx}40%. Velocity dispersions are modest so the disks are unstable, potentially on scales commensurate with their radii: these galaxies are undergoing extreme bursts of star formation, not confined to their nuclei, at close to the Eddington limit. Their specific star formation rates place them {approx}> 5 Multiplication-Sign above the main sequence, which supposedly comprises large gas disks like these. Their high star formation efficiencies are difficult to reconcile with a simple volumetric star formation law. N-body and dark matter simulations suggest that this system is the progenitor of a B(inary)-type Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 14.6}-M{sub Sun} cluster.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CARMA OBSERVATIONS OF PROTOSTELLAR OUTFLOWS IN NGC 1333

We present observations of outflows in the star-forming region NGC 1333 using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-Wave Astronomy (CARMA). We combined the {sup 12}CO and {sup 13}CO (1-0) CARMA mosaics with data from the 14 m Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory to probe the central, most dense, and active region of this protostellar cluster at scales from 5'' to 7' (or 1000 AU to 0.5 pc at a distance of 235 pc). We map and identify {sup 12}CO outflows, and along with {sup 13}CO data we estimate their mass, momentum, and energy. Within the 7' Multiplication-Sign 7' map, the 5'' resolution allows for a detailed study of morphology and kinematics of outflows and outflow candidates, some of which were previously confused with other outflow emission in the region. In total, we identify 22 outflow lobes, as well as 9 dense circumstellar envelopes marked by continuum emission, of which 6 drive outflows. We calculate a total outflow mass, momentum, and energy within the mapped region of 6 M{sub Sun }, 19 M{sub Sun} km s{sup -1}, and 7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 44} erg, respectively. Within this same region, we compare outflow kinematics with turbulence and gravitational energy, and we suggest that outflows are likely important agents for the maintenance of turbulence in this region. In the earliest stages of star formation, outflows do not yet contribute enough energy to totally disrupt the clustered region where most star formation is happening, but have the potential to do so as the protostellar sources evolve. Our results can be used to constrain outflow properties, such as outflow strength, in numerical simulations of outflow-driven turbulence in clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

DOES MAGNETIC-FIELD-ROTATION MISALIGNMENT SOLVE THE MAGNETIC BRAKING CATASTROPHE IN PROTOSTELLAR DISK FORMATION?

Stars form in dense cores of molecular clouds that are observed to be significantly magnetized. In the simplest case of a laminar (non-turbulent) core with the magnetic field aligned with the rotation axis, both analytic considerations and numerical simulations have shown that the formation of a large, 10{sup 2} AU scale, rotationally supported protostellar disk is suppressed by magnetic braking in the ideal MHD limit for a realistic level of core magnetization. This theoretical difficulty in forming protostellar disks is termed the ''magnetic braking catastrophe''. A possible resolution to this problem, proposed by Hennebelle and Ciardi and Joos et al., is that misalignment between the magnetic field and rotation axis may weaken the magnetic braking enough to enable disk formation. We evaluate this possibility quantitatively through numerical simulations. We confirm the basic result of Joos et al. that the misalignment is indeed conducive to disk formation. In relatively weakly magnetized cores with dimensionless mass-to-flux ratio {approx}> 4, it enabled the formation of rotationally supported disks that would otherwise be suppressed if the magnetic field and rotation axis are aligned. For more strongly magnetized cores, disk formation remains suppressed, however, even for the maximum tilt angle of 90 Degree-Sign . If dense cores are as strongly magnetized as indicated by OH Zeeman observations (with a mean dimensionless mass-to-flux ratio {approx}2), it would be difficult for the misalignment alone to enable disk formation in the majority of them. We conclude that, while beneficial to disk formation, especially for the relatively weak field case, misalignment does not completely solve the problem of catastrophic magnetic braking in general.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

LOW-VELOCITY SHOCKS TRACED BY EXTENDED SiO EMISSION ALONG THE W43 RIDGES: WITNESSING THE FORMATION OF YOUNG MASSIVE CLUSTERS

The formation of high-mass stars is tightly linked to that of their parental clouds. Here, we focus on the high-density parts of W43, a molecular cloud undergoing an efficient event of star formation. Using a column density image derived from Herschel continuum maps, we identify two high-density filamentary clouds, called the W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges. Both have gas masses of 2.1 × 10{sup 4} M{sub ☉} and 3.5 × 10{sup 4} M{sub ☉} above >10{sup 23} cm{sup -2} and within areas of ∼6 and ∼14 pc{sup 2}, respectively. The W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges are structures that are coherent in velocity and gravitationally bound, despite their large velocity dispersion measured by the N{sub 2}H{sup +} (1-0) lines of the W43-HERO IRAM large program. Another intriguing result is that these ridges harbor widespread (∼10 pc{sup 2}) bright SiO (2-1) emission, which we interpret to be the result of low-velocity shocks (≤10 km s{sup –1}). We measure a significant relationship between the SiO (2-1) luminosity and velocity extent and show that it distinguishes our observations from the high-velocity shocks associated with outflows. We use state-of-the-art shock models to demonstrate that a small percentage (10%) of Si atoms in low-velocity shocks, observed initially in gas phase or in grain mantles, can explain the observed SiO column density in the W43 ridges. The spatial and velocity overlaps between the ridges of high-density gas and the shocked SiO gas suggest that ridges could be forming via colliding flows driven by gravity and accompanied by low-velocity shocks. This mechanism may be the initial conditions for the formation of young massive clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

EVIDENCE FOR INFALLING GAS OF LOW ANGULAR MOMENTUM TOWARD THE L1551 NE KEPLERIAN CIRCUMBINARY DISK

We report follow-up C{sup 18}O(3-2) line observations of the Class I binary protostellar system L1551 NE with the Submillimeter Array in its compact and subcompact configurations. Our previous observations at a higher angular resolution in the extended configuration revealed a circumbinary disk exhibiting Keplerian motion. The combined data, with more extensive spatial coverage (∼140-2000 AU), verify the presence of a Keplerian circumbinary disk and reveal for the first time a distinct low-velocity (∼< ± 0.5 km s{sup –1} from the systemic velocity) component that displays a velocity gradient along the minor axis of the circumbinary disk. Our simple model that reproduces the main features seen in the position-velocity diagrams comprises a circumbinary disk exhibiting Keplerian motion out to a radius of ∼300 AU, beyond which the gas exhibits pure infall at a constant velocity of ∼0.6 km s{sup –1}. This velocity is significantly smaller than the expected free-fall velocity of ∼2.2 km s{sup –1} onto the L1551 NE protostellar mass of ∼0.8 M{sub ☉} at ∼300 AU, suggesting that the infalling gas is decelerated as it moves into regions of high gas pressure in the circumbinary disk. The discontinuity in angular momenta between the outer infalling gas and the inner Keplerian circumbinary disk implies an abrupt transition in the effectiveness at which magnetic braking is able to transfer angular momentum outward, a result perhaps of the different plasma β values and the ionization fractions between the outer and inner regions of the circumbinary disk.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

BROAD N{sub 2}H{sup +} EMISSION TOWARD THE PROTOSTELLAR SHOCK L1157-B1

We present the first detection of N{sub 2}H{sup +} toward a low-mass protostellar outflow, namely, the L1157-B1 shock, at ∼0.1 pc from the protostellar cocoon. The detection was obtained with the IRAM 30 m antenna. We observed emission at 93 GHz due to the J = 1-0 hyperfine lines. Analysis of this emission coupled with HIFI CHESS multiline CO observations leads to the conclusion that the observed N{sub 2}H{sup +}(1-0) line originated from the dense (≥10{sup 5} cm{sup –3}) gas associated with the large (20''-25'') cavities opened by the protostellar wind. We find an N{sub 2}H{sup +} column density of a few 10{sup 12} cm{sup –2} corresponding to an abundance of (2-8) × 10{sup –9}. The N{sub 2}H{sup +} abundance can be matched by a model of quiescent gas evolved for more than 10{sup 4} yr, i.e., for more than the shock kinematical age (≅2000 yr). Modeling of C-shocks confirms that the abundance of N{sub 2}H{sup +} is not increased by the passage of the shock. In summary, N{sub 2}H{sup +} is a fossil record of the pre-shock gas, formed when the density of the gas was around 10{sup 4} cm{sup –3}, and then further compressed and accelerated by the shock.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

GAS-PHASE SEQUESTRATION OF NOBLE GASES IN THE PROTOSOLAR NEBULA: POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES ON THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM COMPOSITION

We address the problem of the sequestration of Ar, Kr, and Xe by H{sub 3}{sup +} in the gas-phase conditions encountered during the cooling of protoplanetary disks when H{sub 3}{sup +} is competing with other species present in the same environment. Using high-level ab initio simulations, we try to quantify other sequestration possibilities involving He, H{sub 5}{sup +}, H{sub 2}O, and H{sub 3}O{sup +} present in the protosolar nebula. Apart from the fact that H{sub 3}{sup +} complexes formed with heavy noble gases are found to be by far much more stable than those formed with He or H{sub 2}O, we show that H{sub 2}D{sup +} and H{sub 3}O{sup +}, both products of the reactions of H{sub 3}{sup +} with HD and H{sub 2}O, can also be efficient trapping agents for Ar, Kr, and Xe. Meanwhile, the abundance profile of H{sub 3}{sup +} in the outer part of the nebula is revisited with the use of an evolutionary accretion disk model that allows us to investigate the possibility that heavy noble gases can be sequestered by H{sub 3}{sup +} at earlier epochs than those corresponding to their trapping in planetesimals. We find that H{sub 3}{sup +} might be abundant enough in the outer protosolar nebula to trap Xe and Kr prior their condensation epochs, implying that their abundances should be solar in Saturn's current atmosphere and below the observational limit in Titan. The same scenario predicts that comets formed at high heliocentric distances should also be depleted in Kr and Xe. In situ measurements, such as those planed with the Rosetta mission on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, will be critical to check the validity of our hypotheses.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CORRELATING INFALL WITH DEUTERIUM FRACTIONATION IN DENSE CORES

We present a survey of HCO{sup +} (3-2) observations pointed toward dense cores with previous measurements of N(N{sub 2}D{sup +})/N(N{sub 2}H{sup +}). Of the 26 cores in this survey, 5 show the spectroscopic signature of outward motion, 9 exhibit neither inward nor outward motion, 11 appear to be infalling, and 1 is not detected. We compare the degree of deuterium fractionation with infall velocities calculated from the HCO{sup +} spectra and find that those cores with [D]/[H] > 0.1 are more likely to have the signature of inward motions than cores with smaller [D]/[H] ratios. Infall motions are also much more common in cores with masses exceeding their thermal Jeans masses. The fastest infall velocity measured belongs to one of the two protostellar cores in our survey, L1521F, and the observed motions are typically on the order of the sound speed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

YOUNG STARS NEAR EARTH: THE OCTANS-NEAR ASSOCIATION AND CASTOR MOVING GROUP

All cataloged stellar moving groups and associations with ages ≤100 Myr and within 100 pc of Earth have Galactic space motions (UVW) situated in a 'good box' with dimensions ∼20 km s{sup –1} on a side. Torres et al. defined the Octans Association as a group of 15 stars with age '20 Myr?' and located ∼140 pc from Earth, but with average V space velocity –3.6 km s{sup –1} that is well outside of the good box. We present a list of 14 Hipparcos star systems within 100 pc of Earth that we call {sup O}ctans-Near{sup ;} these systems have UVW similar to those of the much more distant Octans Association. The Octans-Near stars have apparent ages between about 30 and 100 Myr and their relationship to the Octans Association stars is unclear. Six additional star systems have UVW similar to those of Octans-Near stars and likely ages ≤200 Myr. These six systems include the late-type binary star EQ Peg—6.2 pc from Earth with likely age ≤100 Myr and thus likely to be the nearest known pre-main sequence star system. The UVW of stars in a previously proposed ∼200 Myr old Castor moving group are not too dissimilar from the UVW of Octans-Near stars. However, stars in the Castor group—if it exists at all—are mostly substantially older than 200 Myr and thus generally can readily be distinguished from the much younger Octans-Near stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Generation of magnetic field on the accretion disk around a proto-first-star

The generation process of a magnetic field around a proto-first-star is studied. Utilizing the recent numerical results of proto-first-star formation based on radiation hydrodynamics simulations, we assess the magnetic field strength generated by the radiative force and the Biermann battery effect. We find that a magnetic field of ∼10{sup –9} G is generated on the surface of the accretion disk around the proto-first-star. The field strength on the accretion disk is smaller by two orders of magnitude than the critical value, above which the gravitational fragmentation of the disk is suppressed. Thus, the generated seed magnetic field hardly affect the dynamics of on-site first star formation directly, unless an efficient amplification process is taken into consideration. We also find that the generated magnetic field is continuously blown out from the disk on the outflows to the poles, that are driven by the thermal pressure of photoheated gas. The strength of the diffused magnetic field in low-density regions is ∼10{sup –14}-10{sup –13} G at n {sub H} = 10{sup 3} cm{sup –3}, which could play an important role in the next generation star formation, as well as the seeds of the magnetic field in the present-day universe.

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