The effect of ambipolar resistivity on the formation of dense cores

¹ School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK e-mail: svenvl@ast.leeds.ac.uk
² School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
³ Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK

Received: 21 January 2008
Accepted: 28 March 2008

Abstract

Aims. We aim to understand the formation of dense cores by magnetosonic waves in regions where the thermal to magnetic pressure ratio is small. Because of the low-ionisation fraction in molecular clouds, neutral and charged particles are weakly coupled. Ambipolar diffusion then plays an important rôle in the formation process.

Methods. A quiescent, uniform plasma is perturbed by a fast-mode wave. Using 2D numerical simulations, we follow the evolution of the fast-mode wave. The simulations are done with a multifluid, adaptive mesh refinement MHD code.

Results. Initial perturbations with wavelengths that are 2 orders of magnitude larger than the dissipation length are strongly affected by the ion-neutral drift. Only in situations where there are large variations in the magnetic field corresponding to a highly turbulent gas can fast-mode waves generate dense cores. This means that, in most cores, no substructure can be produced. However, Core D of TMC-1 is an exception to this case. Due to its atypically high ionisation fraction, waves with wavelengths up to 3 orders of magnitude greater than the dissipation length can be present. Such waves are only weakly affected by ambipolar diffusion and can produce dense substructure without large wave-amplitudes. Our results also explain the observed transition from Alfvénic turbulent motion on large scales to subsonic motions at the level of dense cores.