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Session 15 - Structure and Collapse of Molecular Clouds: Theory.
Display session, Monday, January 13
Metropolitan Ballroom,
Numerical simulations of the contraction of supercritical cores (e.g., cores with a mass-to-flux ratio exceeding a critical value) show that the inner solution is characterized by a sequence of self-similar profiles. We use this result to develop analytic expressions for the density, angular velocity, and magnetic field. All forces (e.g., gravitational, magnetic, thermal, and centrifugal) in the inner region can be calculated analytically in the thin-disk geometry of the problem. The role of each force during the contraction is analyzed, and we obtain a semi-analytic collapse solution for the inner region. The solution can be followed up to the formation of a central singularity (a protostar). We find the limiting velocities and acceleration at this moment. The relation of this solution to other similarity solutions is discussed, as well as its relation to observations of Class 0 protostars.
