Destruction of massive fragments in protostellar disks and crystalline silicate production

We present a mechanism for the crystalline silicate production associated with the formation and subsequent destruction of massive fragments in young protostellar disks. The fragments form in the embedded phase of star formation via disk fragmentation at radial distances ga 50-100 AU and anneal small amorphous grains in their interior when the gas temperature exceeds the crystallization threshold of ~ 800 K. We demonstrate that fragments that form in the early embedded phase can be destroyed before they either form solid cores or vaporize dust grains, thus releasing the processed crystalline dust into various radial distances from sub-AU to hundred-AU scales. Two possible mechanisms for the destruction of fragments are the tidal disruption and photoevaporation as fragments migrate radially inward and approach the central star and also dispersal by tidal torques exerted by spiral arms. As a result, most of the crystalline dust concentrates to the disk inner regions and spiral arms, which are the likely sites of fragment destruction.

Embedded protostellar disks around (sub-)solar stars. II. Disk masses, sizes, densities, temperatures and the planet formation perspective

We present basic properties of protostellar disks in the embedded phase of star formation (EPSF), which is difficult to probe observationally using available observational facilities. We use numerical hydrodynamics simulations of cloud core collapse and focus on disks formed around stars in the 0.03-1.0 Msun mass range. Our obtained disk masses scale near-linearly with the stellar mass. The mean and median disk masses in the Class 0 and I phases (M_{d,C0}^{mean}=0.12 Msun, M_{d,C0}^{mdn}=0.09 Msun and M_{d,CI}^{mean}=0.18 Msun, M_{d,CI}^{mdn}=0.15 Msun, respectively) are greater than those inferred from observations by (at least) a factor of 2--3. We demonstrate that this disagreement may (in part) be caused by the optically thick inner regions of protostellar disks, which do not contribute to millimeter dust flux. We find that disk masses and surface densities start to systematically exceed that of the minimum mass solar nebular for objects with stellar mass as low as M_st=0.05-0.1 Msun. Concurrently, disk radii start to grow beyond 100 AU, making gravitational fragmentation in the disk outer regions possible. Large disk masses, surface densities, and sizes suggest that giant planets may start forming as early as in the EPSF, either by means of core accretion (inner disk regions) or direct gravitational instability (outer disk regions), thus breaking a longstanding stereotype that the planet formation process begins in the Class II phase.

Embedded protostellar disks around (sub-)solar protostars. I. Disk structure and evolution

We perform a comparative numerical hydrodynamics study of embedded protostellar disks formed as a result of the gravitational collapse of cloud cores of distinct mass (M_cl=0.2--1.7 M_sun) and ratio of rotational to gravitational energy (beta=0.0028--0.023). An increase in M_cl and/or beta leads to the formation of protostellar disks that are more susceptible to gravitational instability. Disk fragmentation occurs in most models but its effect is often limited to the very early stage, with the fragments being either dispersed or driven onto the forming star during tens of orbital periods. Only cloud cores with high enough M_cl or beta may eventually form wide-separation binary/multiple systems with low mass ratios and brown dwarf or sub-solar mass companions. It is feasible that such systems may eventually break up, giving birth to rogue brown dwarfs. Protostellar disks of {it equal} age formed from cloud cores of greater mass (but equal beta) are generally denser, hotter, larger, and more massive. On the other hand, protostellar disks formed from cloud cores of higher beta (but equal M_cl) are generally thinner and colder but larger and more massive. In all models, the difference between the irradiation temperature and midplane temperature triangle T is small, except for the innermost regions of young disks, dense fragments, and disks outer edge where triangle T is negative and may reach a factor of two or even more. Gravitationally unstable, embedded disks show radial pulsations, the amplitude of which increases along the line of increasing M_cl and beta but tends to diminish as the envelope clears. We find that single stars with a disk-to-star mass ratio of order unity can be formed only from high-beta cloud cores, but such massive disks are unstable and quickly fragment into binary/multiple systems.

DLA kinematics and outflows from starburst galaxies

We present results from a numerical study of the multiphase interstellar medium in sub-Lyman-break galaxy protogalactic clumps. Such clumps are abundant at z=3 and are thought to be a major contributor to damped Ly-alpha absorption. We model the formation of winds from these clumps and show that during star formation episodes they feature outflows with neutral gas velocity widths up to several hundred km/s. Such outflows are consistent with the observed high-velocity dispersion in DLAs. In our models thermal energy feedback from winds and supernovae results in efficient outflows only when cold (~ 300 K), dense (> 100 msun/pc^3) clouds are resolved at grid resolution of 12 pc. At lower 24 pc resolution the first signs of the multiphase medium are spotted; however, at this low resolution thermal injection of feedback energy cannot yet create hot expanding bubbles around star-forming regions -- instead feedback tends to erase high-density peaks and suppress star formation. At 12 pc resolution feedback compresses cold clouds, often without disrupting the ongoing star formation; at the same time a larger fraction of feedback energy is channeled into low-density bubbles and winds. These winds often entrain compact neutral clumps which produce multi-component metal absorption lines.