Exploration of the origin of the initial mass function using multi-scale simulations

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H05998
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Tohoku University (2020, 2022); Osaka University (2016-2019)
• Principal Investigator: Tomida Kengo 東北大学, 理学研究科, 准教授 (70772367)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 星形成 / 磁気流体力学 / 数値シミュレーション / 分子雲 / 原始惑星系円盤

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we have studied star formation processes focusing on their universality and diversity. Starting from the formation of molecular clouds which are the initial conditions of star formation processes, we have investigated the processes from the first principle as much as possible. We have revealed that formed molecular clouds and dense molecular cloud cores have universal properties regardless of initial conditions. Our results indicate that the universal properties of stars such as the initial mass function is already imprinted in molecular clouds. We also performed long-term simulations of protoplanetary disk formation, and showed that the disk tends to be massive. This indicates that planet formation is already possible in the early phase of star formation.
We have developed the Athena++ MHD simulation code in international collaboration. This code is publicly distributed online and includes various physical processes needed for this project such as MHD and self-gravity.

Free Research Field

宇宙物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

星は宇宙の最も基本的な構成要素であり、その形成過程を理解することはより大きなスケールの銀河やより小さなスケールの惑星形成過程を理解するための基礎となる。本研究では星形成の初期条件である分子雲から、分子雲コア、そして形成される原始惑星系円盤に至るスケールを横断した研究を行った。そのため本研究は宇宙物理学の様々な分野に波及する大きな学術的意義がある。
また、本研究で開発した公開シミュレーションコードAthena++は多様な物理過程を含むため幅広い問題に応用可能であり、本研究に留まらない幅広い分野で実際に利用されている。