Star Formation: Modelling the Collapse of a Dense Core

Abstract

"Stars begin their life in molecular clouds: areas of dense gas in the interstellar medium that are threaded by magnetic fields. Within these molecular clouds, the gas is distributed unevenly resulting in denser regions known as cores. Star formation is thought to begin when a core loses support from its magnetic field and material from the core begins to “fall in” making the core even denser. Once this over dense region of gas has formed, collapse is inevitable and a young star is formed. Using a classic partial differential equation model of this process as a starting point, we explore how the relationship between a core’s pressure and density influences the timeline of the core’s collapse."