The impact of the turbulent Mach number on star formation and the initial mass function

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ID: 329928
2026
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Abstract
Abstract Turbulence regulates star formation by influencing the density structure and fragmentation of molecular clouds, and therefore it is expected to play a key role in setting the initial mass function (IMF). We study how the strength of the turbulent shocks affects star formation and the IMF by comparing a series of magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations of star cluster formation in clouds with three different rms Mach number values, $\mathcal {M}=2.5, 5$, and 10, but otherwise the same Alfvén Mach number ($\mathcal {M}_\mathrm{A}\sim 3$) and virial parameter (αvir ~ 0.5). All three simulations include stellar feedback in the form of protostellar jets/outflows and accretion heating. We find that the star formation rate per freefall time (SFRff) for the $\mathcal {M}=10$ model is higher by a factor of ~3 compared to the $\mathcal {M}=2.5$ and 5 cases, which have similar SFRff. In terms of the IMF, the $\mathcal {M}=5$ and 10 models produce almost similar distributions, resembling typical observed IMFs. The $\mathcal {M}=2.5$ model, on the other hand, produces a bimodal IMF with a primary peak at supersolar masses (~2 M⊙) and a secondary peak in the substellar regime (<0.1 M⊙). The $\mathcal {M}=2.5$ and 5 simulations producing significantly different IMFs while having similar SFRff, suggest that a distinct set of physical processes governs the SFR and IMF. Through a resolution study for the $\mathcal {M}=2.5$ case, we find our base models have reached near numerical convergence, potentially only slightly underestimating close-binary formation. We also see signatures of bimodality in the $\mathcal {M}=2.5$ model for the multiplicity fraction and stellar angular momentum distribution.
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Authors Sajay Sunny Mathew, Christoph Federrath, Amit Seta
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Journal monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/mnras/stag1827
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stag1827
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