Issue |
A&A
Volume 614, June 2018
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | A64 | |
Number of page(s) | 7 | |
Section | Interstellar and circumstellar matter | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201732378 | |
Published online | 13 June 2018 |
Magnetic fields at the onset of high-mass star formation
1
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy,
Königstuhl 17,
69117
Heidelberg,
Germany
e-mail: beuther@mpia.de
2
Department of Earth and Space Sciences Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory,
439 92
Onsala,
Sweden
3
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Tübingen,
Auf der Morgenstelle 10,
72076
Tübingen,
Germany
4
Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics,
645 N. Aohoku Place,
Hilo,
HI
96720,
USA
5
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester,
Oxford Road,
Manchester
M13 9PL,
UK
6
Department of Communication Engineering and Informatics, The University of Electro-Communications,
Chofugaoka, Chofu,
Tokyo
182-8585,
Japan
7
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds,
Leeds
LS2 9JT,
UK
8
International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University,
GPO Box U1987,
Perth,
WA
6845,
Australia
9
Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik,
Giessenbachstrasse 1,
85748
Garching,
Germany
Received:
28
November
2017
Accepted:
29
January
2018
Context. The importance of magnetic fields at the onset of star formation related to the early fragmentation and collapse processes is largely unexplored today.
Aims. We want to understand the magnetic field properties at the earliest evolutionary stages of high-mass star formation.
Methods. The Atacama Large Millimeter Array is used at 1.3 mm wavelength in full polarization mode to study the polarized emission, and, using this, the magnetic field morphologies and strengths of the high-mass starless region IRDC 18310-4.
Results. Polarized emission is clearly detected in four sub-cores of the region; in general it shows a smooth distribution, also along elongated cores. Estimating the magnetic field strength via the Davis-Chandrasekhar-Fermi method and following a structure function analysis, we find comparably large magnetic field strengths between ~0.3–5.3 mG. Comparing the data to spectral line observations, the turbulent-to-magnetic energy ratio is low, indicating that turbulence does not significantly contribute to the stability of the gas clump. A mass-to-flux ratio around the critical value 1.0 – depending on column density – indicates that the region starts to collapse, which is consistent with the previous spectral line analysis of the region.
Conclusions. While this high-mass region is collapsing and thus at the verge of star formation, the high magnetic field values and the smooth spatial structure indicate that the magnetic field is important for the fragmentation and collapse process. This single case study can only be the starting point for larger sample studies of magnetic fields at the onset of star formation.
Key words: stars: formation / instrumentation: interferometers / magnetic fields / polarization / stars: individual: IRDC18310 / ISM: clouds
© ESO 2018
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