Year: 1998
Type: article
Abstract: The isothermal gravitational collapse and fragmentation of a region within a molecular cloud and the subsequent formation of a protostellar cluster are investigated numerically. The clump mass spectrum that forms during the fragmentation phase can be well approximated by a power-law distribution dN / dM ∝ M −1.5 . In contrast, the mass spectrum of protostellar cores that form in the centers of Jeans-unstable clumps and that evolve through accretion and N -body interactions is described by a lognormal distribution with a width that is in excellent agreement with observations of multiple stellar systems.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
DOI: 10.1086/311471
Authors: Ralf S. Klessen, Andreas Burkert, Matthew R. Bate
Institution: Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2004460878