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Dusty magnetohydrodynamics in star-forming regions
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 January 2010
Abstract
Star formation occurs in dark molecular regions where the number density of hydrogen nuclei nH exceeds 104 cm−3 and the fractional ionization is 10−7 or less. Dust grains with sizes ranging up to tenths of microns and perhaps down to tens of nanometers contain just less than 1% of the mass. Recombination on grains is important for the removal of gas-phase ions, which are produced by cosmic rays penetrating the dark regions. Collisions of neutrals with charged grains contribute significantly to the coupling of the magnetic field to the neutral gas. Consequently, the dynamics of the grains must be included in the magnetohydrodynamic models of large-scale collapse, the evolution of waves and the structures of shocks important in star formation.
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- Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 76 , Special Issue 3-4: In Honor of Professor Padma Kant Shukla on the Occasion of His 60th Birthday , August 2010 , pp. 569 - 578
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- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010