Impact of magnetic fields on Population III star formation

Abstract

ABSTRACT The theory of the formation of the first stars in the Universe, the so-called Population III (Pop III), has until now largely neglected the impact of magnetic fields. Complementing a series of recent studies of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) aspects of Pop III star formation, we here carry out a suite of idealized numerical experiments where we ascertain how the fragmentation properties of primordial protostellar discs are modified if MHD effects are present. Specifically, starting from cosmological initial conditions, we focus on the central region in a select minihalo at redshift z ∼ 25, inserting a magnetic field at an intermediate evolutionary stage, normalized to a fraction of the equipartition value. To explore parameter space, we consider different field geometries, including uniform, radial, toroidal, and poloidal field configurations, with the toroidal configuration being the most realistic. The collapse of the gas is followed for ∼8 orders of magnitude in density after the field was inserted, until a maximum of $10^{15} {\rm \, cm}^{-3}$ is reached. We find that the magnetic field leads to a delay in the collapse of the gas. Moreover, the toroidal field has the strongest effect on the collapse as it inhibits the fragmentation of the emerging disc surrounding the central core and leads to the formation of a more massive core. The full understanding of the formation of Pop III stars and their mass distribution thus needs to take into account the effect of magnetic fields. We further conclude that ideal MHD is only a first step in this endeavour, to be followed up with a comprehensive treatment of dissipative effects, such as ambipolar diffusion and Ohmic dissipation.