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We investigate the properties of circumstellar discs (CDs) produced in hydrodynamical simulations of gravoturbulent core collapse considering Kolmogorov and Burger-type turbulence. We report that massive discs are more prevalent in the Kolmogorov regime than for Burger-type turbulence. A significant number of discs are formed with a radius of ∼15 au in both cases. However, the number of extended discs with radii >15 au is significantly larger in case of Kolmogorov turbulence. The two regimes of turbulence, in general, yield disc radii in the ranges of 7−30 au and 13−39 au, respectively. The corresponding ranges of the disc masses are 30.37 M Jup−0.92 M⊙ and 2.09  M Jup−0.13 M⊙, respectively. Moreover, the ratio M disc/ M star is higher in models of Kolmogorov-type turbulence than in models of Burgers-type turbulence. We do not find any correlation between R disc and M disc over the explored range of initial temperatures (8−14 K) and the type of turbulence. Also, for these initial thermal variations, the turbulent CD structures do not exhibit signs of turbulent diffusion. Nonetheless, both sub- and supersonic velocity dispersions cause variations in the specific angular momentum of infalling gas, especially for CDs with radii ∼ 16−21 au. The radial profiles of CDs do not correlate with the initial conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The centres of galaxies host nuclear stellar clusters, supermassive black holes, or both. The origin of this dichotomy is still a mystery. Nuclear stellar clusters are the densest stellar system in the Universe, so they are ideal places for runaway collisions to occur. Previous studies have proposed the possible existence of a critical mass scale in such clusters, for which the occurrence of collisions becomes very frequent and leads to the formation of a very massive object. While it is difficult to directly probe this scenario with simulations, we here aim for a proof of concept using toy models where the occurrence of such a transition is shown based on simplified compact systems, where the typical evolution time-scales will be faster compared to the real Universe. Indeed our simulations confirm that such a transition takes place and that up to 50 per cent of the cluster mass can go into the formation of a central massive object for clusters that are above the critical mass scale. Our results thus support the proposed new scenario on the basis of idealized simulations. A preliminary analysis of observed nuclear star clusters shows similar trends related to the critical mass as in our simulations. We further discuss the caveats for the application of the proposed scenario in real nuclear star clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During primordial star formation, the main cooling channel is provided by H2 and super-molecules, such as H2 or H2, at sufficiently high densities. When the latter form at |$n_{\rm H}\, \ge \, 10^{14}$|  cm−3, collision-induced emission (CIE) provides efficient gas cooling. We investigate how CIE cooling affects the formation of metal-free binaries comparing simulations with and without this process. Irrespective of the cooling mechanism, we find a typical protostellar mass range between 0.01 and 100 M⊙. However, models with only H2 line cooling produce a greater number of low-mass protostars that exhibit stronger variations in their radial velocities than the high-mass protostars. Similarly, in models with both H2 cooling and CIE cooling, significant variations in the radial velocities are found for protostars in the intermediate-mass range. The initial number of fragments N max decreases with increasing strength of turbulence. Cooling via super-molecules lets the most massive protobinaries (MMPBs) efficiently accrete mass. The maximum mass accretion rate |$\dot{M}_{\rm max}$| for the MMPBs is more than an order of magnitude higher in the presence of CIE cooling than for pure H2 line cooling. As a result, compact binaries with a semimajor axis as small as 3.57 au may form through the H2– H2 cooling channel. Our results indicate that, in addition to the MMPBs, most population III (Pop. III) binaries should be in eccentric i.e. non-circular orbits. This provides an important connection to the eccentric binaries reported in previous studies, which were found to exhibit rich temporal accretion signals during their evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cosmic rays are a global source of ionization, and the ionization fraction represents a fundamental parameter in the interstellar medium. Ions couple to magnetic fields, and affect the chemistry and the dynamics of star-forming regions as well as planetary atmospheres. However, the cosmic ray ionization rate represents one of the bottlenecks for astrochemical models, and its determination is one of the most puzzling problems in astrophysics. While for diffuse clouds reasonable values have been provided from |${\mathrm{ H}_3}^+$| observations, for dense clouds, due to the lack of rotational transitions, this is not possible, and estimates are strongly biased by the employed model. We present here an analytical expression, obtained from first principles, to estimate the cosmic ray ionization rate from observational quantities. The theoretical predictions are validated with high-resolution 3D numerical simulations and applied to the well-known core L1544; we obtained an estimate of ζ2 ∼ 2–3 × 10−17 s−1. Our results and the analytical formulae provided represent the first model-independent robust tool to probe the cosmic ray ionization rate in the densest part of star-forming regions (on spatial scales of R ≤ 0.05 pc). An error analysis is presented to give statistical relevance to our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the stellar initial mass function (IMF) appears to be close to universal within the Milky Way galaxy, it is strongly suspected to be different in the primordial universe, where molecular hydrogen cooling is less efficient and the gas temperature can be higher by a factor of 30. In between these extreme cases, the gas temperature varies depending on the environment, metallicity, and radiation background. In this paper we explore if changes of the gas temperature affect the IMF of the stars considering fragmentation and accretion. The fragmentation behaviour depends mostly on the Jeans mass at the turning point in the equation of state (EOS) where a transition occurs from an approximately isothermal to an adiabatic regime due to dust opacities. The Jeans mass at this transition in the EOS is always very similar, independent of the initial temperature, and therefore the initial mass of the fragments is very similar. Accretion on the other hand is strongly temperature dependent. We argue that the latter becomes the dominant process for star formation efficiencies above 5–7  per cent, increasing the average mass of the stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations reveal the presence of supermassive black holes (SMBH) as early as ∼700 million years after the big bang. Their formation path is still subject to current debate. We explore the influence of magnetic fields, which are strongly amplified via the turbulent small-scale dynamo, on the formation of SMBH seeds within the direct collapse scenario. In this study, we perform for the first time cosmological magnetohydrodynamic large eddy simulations that employ a model for unresolved, compressible MHD turbulence. In total we perform 36 simulations for nine haloes each with two different initial magnetic field strengths, and with and without employing the unresolved turbulence model. We make use of the adaptive mesh refinement approach to achieve an effective spatial resolution of less than one proper astronomical unit. We consider a regime where cooling is regulated by atomic hydrogen and the molecular hydrogen gets dissociated by a strong radiation field. Our main finding is that the majority of the gas properties in the haloes at the final output are predominantly determined by the run-away gravitational collapse. Turbulence is supersonic and super-Alfvénic in all cases, and magnetic fields are amplified to an approximately dynamically relevant regime. Finally, fragmentation during the collapse is intermittent and mass accretion rates range from 0.2 to 3 M |$\odot$|  yr−1. This suggests that the presence of strongly amplified magnetic fields and turbulence provides additional pressure support on small scales and makes the direct collapse a viable scenario for the formation of massive objects under the required ambient conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black holes with masses of |$\rm 10^6\text{-}10^9\,M_{\odot }$| dwell in the centres of most galaxies, but their formation mechanisms are not well known. A subdominant dissipative component of dark matter with similar properties to the ordinary baryons, known as mirror dark matter, may collapse to form massive black holes during the epoch of first galaxies formation. In this study, we explore the possibility of massive black hole formation via this alternative scenario. We perform three-dimensional cosmological simulations for four distinct haloes and compare their thermal, chemical, and dynamical evolution in both the ordinary and the mirror sectors. We find that the collapse of haloes is significantly delayed in the mirror sector due to the lack of |$\rm H_2$| cooling and only haloes with masses above |$\rm \ge\!10^7\, M_{\odot }$| are formed. Overall, the mass inflow rates are |$\rm \ge\!10^{-2}\,M_{\odot }\,yr^{ -1}$| and there is less fragmentation. This suggests that the conditions for the formation of massive objects, including black holes, are more favourable in the mirror sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations show a large spread in the luminosities of young protostars, which are frequently explained in the context of episodic accretion. We tested this scenario with numerical simulations that follow the collapse of a solar mass molecular cloud using the GRADSPH code, thereby varying the strength of the initial perturbations and temperature of the cores. A specific emphasis of this paper is to investigate the role of binaries and multiple systems in the context of episodic accretion and to compare their evolution to the evolution in isolated fragments. Our models form a variety of low-mass protostellar objects including single, binary, and triple systems in which binaries are more active in exhibiting episodic accretion than isolated protostars. We also find a general decreasing trend in the average mass accretion rate over time, suggesting that the majority of the protostellar mass is accreted within the first 105 years. This result can potentially help to explain the surprisingly low average luminosities in the majority of the protostellar population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models aiming to explain the formation ofmassive black hole seeds, and in particular the direct collapse scenario, face substantial difficulties. These are rooted in rather ad hoc and fine-tuned initial conditions, such as the simultaneous requirements of extremely low metallicities and strong radiation backgrounds. Here, we explore a modification of such scenarios where a massive primordial star cluster is initially produced. Subsequent stellar collisions give rise to the formation of massive (104-105 M⊙) objects. Our calculations demonstrate that the interplay among stellar dynamics, gas accretion, and protostellar evolution is particularly relevant. Gas accretion on to the protostars enhances their radii, resulting in an enhanced collisional cross-section. We show that the fraction of collisions can increase from 0.1 to 1 per cent of the initial population to about 10 per cent when compared to gas-free models or models of protostellar clusters in the local Universe. We conclude that very massive objects can form in spite of initial fragmentation, making the first massive protostellar clusters viable candidate birth places for observed supermassive black holes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We present and test chemical models for three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies. We explore the effect of changing key parameters such as metallicity, radiation, and non-equilibrium versus equilibrium metal cooling approximations on the transition between the gas phases in the interstellar medium. Methods. The microphysics was modelled by employing the public chemistry package KROME, and the chemical networks were tested to work in a wide range of densities and temperatures. We describe a simple H/He network following the formation of H2 and a more sophisticated network that includes metals. Photochemistry, thermal processes, and different prescriptions for the H2 catalysis on dust are presented and tested within a one-zone framework. The resulting network is made publicly available on the KROME webpage. Results. We find that employing an accurate treatment of the dust-related processes induces a faster HI-H2 transition. In addition, we show when the equilibrium assumption for metal cooling holds and how a non-equilibrium approach affects the thermal evolution of the gas and the HII-HI transition. Conclusions. These models can be employed in any hydrodynamical code via an interface to KROME and can be applied to different problems including isolated galaxies, cosmological simulations of galaxy formation and evolution, supernova explosions in molecular clouds, and the modelling of star-forming regions. The metal network can be used for a comparison with observational data of CII 158 μm emission both for high-redshift and for local galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of z > 6 quasars reveals the existence of supermassive black holes of a few 109M⊙. One of the potential pathways to explain their formation in the infant universe is the so-called direct collapse model which provides massive seeds of 105-106M⊙. An isothermal direct collapse mandates that haloes should be of a primordial composition and the formation of molecular hydrogen remains suppressed in the presence of a strong Lyman Werner flux. In this study, we perform high resolution cosmological simulations for two massive primordial haloes employing a detailed chemical model which includes H- cooling as well as realistic opacities for both the bound-free H- emission and the Rayleigh scattering of hydrogen atoms. We are able to resolve the collapse up to unprecedentedly high densities of ~10-3 g cm-3 and to scales of about 10-4 au. Our results show that the gas cools down to ~5000 K in the presence of H- cooling, and induces fragmentation at scales of about 8000 au in one of the two simulated haloes, which may lead to the formation of a binary. In addition, fragmentation also occurs on the au scale in one of the haloes but the clumps are expected to merge on short time-scales. Our results confirm that H- cooling does not prevent the formation of a supermassive star and the trapping of cooling radiation stabilizes the collapse on small scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of high-redshift quasars at z > 6 indicate that they harbour supermassive black holes (SMBHs) of a billion solar masses. The direct collapse scenario has emerged as the most plausible way to assemble SMBHs. The nurseries for the direct collapse black holes are massive primordial haloes illuminated with an intense UV flux emitted by Population II (Pop II) stars. In this study, we compute the critical value of such a flux (J21crit) for realistic spectra of Pop II stars through three-dimensional cosmological simulations. We derive the dependence of J21crit on the radiation spectra, on variations from halo to halo, and on the impact of X-ray ionization. Our findings show that the value of J21crit is a few times 104 and only weakly depends on the adopted radiation spectra in the range between Trad = 2 × 104 and 105 K. For three simulated haloes of a few times 107 M⊙, J21crit varies from 2 × 104 to 5 × 104. The impact of X-ray ionization is almost negligible and within the expected scatter of J21crit for background fluxes of JX,21 ≤ 0.1. The computed estimates of J21crit have profound implications for the quasar abundance at z = 10 as it lowers the number density of black holes forming through an isothermal direct collapse by a few orders of magnitude below the observed black hole density. However, the sites with moderate amounts of H2 cooling may still form massive objects sufficient to be compatible with observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of metal-free gas to cool by molecular hydrogen in primordial haloes is strongly associated with the strength of ultraviolet (UV) flux produced by the stellar populations in the first galaxies. Depending on the stellar spectrum, these UV photons can either dissociate H2 molecules directly or indirectly by photodetachment of H− as the latter provides the main pathway for H2 formation in the early universe. In this study, we aim to determine the critical strength of the UV flux above which the formation of molecular hydrogen remains suppressed for a sample of five distinct haloes at z > 10 by employing a higher order chemical solver and a Jeans resolution of 32 cells. We presume that such flux is emitted by Pop II stars implying atmospheric temperatures of 104 K. We performed three-dimensional cosmological simulations and varied the strength of the UV flux below the Lyman limit in units of J21. Our findings show that the value of $J_{21}^{\rm crit}$ varies from halo to halo and is sensitive to the local thermal conditions of the gas. For the simulated haloes, it varies from 400 to 700 with the exception of one halo where $J_{21}^{\rm crit} \ge 1500$. This has important implications for the formation of direct collapse black holes and their estimated population at z > 6. It reduces the number density of direct collapse black holes by almost three orders of magnitude compared to the previous estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

While Population III (Pop III) stars are typically thought to be massive, pathways towards lower mass Pop III stars may exist when the cooling of the gas is particularly enhanced. A possible route is enhanced HD cooling during the merging of dark-matter haloes. The mergers can lead to a high ionization degree catalysing the formation of HD molecules and may cool the gas down to the cosmic microwave background temperature. In this paper, we investigate the merging of mini-haloes with masses of a few 105 M⊙ and explore the feasibility of this scenario. We have performed three-dimensional cosmological hydrodynamics calculations with the enzo code, solving the thermal and chemical evolution of the gas by employing the astrochemistry package krome. Our results show that the HD abundance is increased by two orders of magnitude compared to the no-merging case and the halo cools down to ∼60 K triggering fragmentation. Based on Jeans estimates, the expected stellar masses are about 10 M⊙. Our findings show that the merging scenario is a potential pathway for the formation of low-mass stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baryonic streaming motions produced prior to the epoch of recombination became supersonic during the cosmic dark ages. Various studies suggest that such streaming velocities change the halo statistics and also influence the formation of Population III stars. In this study, we aim to explore the impact of streaming velocities on the formation of supermassive black holes at z>10 via the direct collapse scenario. To accomplish this goal, we perform cosmological large eddy simulations for two haloes of a few times 107M⊙ with initial streaming velocities of 3, 6 and 9 km s−1. These massive primordial haloes illuminated by the strong Lyman–Werner flux are the potential cradles for the formation of direct collapse seed black holes. To study the evolution for longer times, we employ sink particles and track the accretion for 10 000 years. Our findings show that higher streaming velocities increase the circular velocities from about 14 to 16 km s−1. They also delay the collapse of haloes for a few million years, but do not have any significant impact on the halo properties such as turbulent energy, radial velocity, density and accretion rates. Sink particles of about ∼105M⊙ are formed at the end of our simulations and no clear distribution of sink masses is observed in the presence of streaming motions. It is further found that the impact of streaming velocities is less severe in massive haloes compared to the minihaloes as reported in the previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Population III stars are the first stars in the Universe to form at z = 20-30 out of a pure hydrogen and helium gas in minihalos of 105-106 M☉. Cooling and fragmentation is thus regulated via molecular hydrogen. At densities above 108 cm-3, the three-body H2 formation rates are particularly important for making the gas fully molecular. These rates were considered to be uncertain by at least a few orders of magnitude. Aims. We explore the impact of recently derived accurate three-body H2 formation for three different minihalos, and compare them with the results obtained with three-body rates employed in previous other studies. Methods. The calculations were performed with the cosmological hydrodynamics code ENZO (release 2.2) coupled with the chemistry package KROME (including a network for primordial chemistry), which was previously shown to be accurate in high-resolution simulations. Results. While the new rates can shift the point where the gas becomes fully molecular, leading to a different thermal evolution, there is no trivial trend in the way this occurs. While one might naively expect the results to follow the rate coeffcients trend, the behavior can vary depending on the dark-matter halo that is explored. Conclusions. We conclude that employing the correct three-body rates is about equally important as the use of appropriate initial conditions, and that the resulting thermal evolution needs to be calculated for every halo individually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the present standard model of cosmology yields no clear prediction for the initial magnetic field strength, efficient dynamo action may compensate for initially weak seed fields via rapid amplification. In particular, the small-scale dynamo is expected to exponentially amplify any weak magnetic field in the presence of turbulence. We explore whether this scenario is viable using cosmological magneto-hydrodynamics simulations modelling the formation of the first galaxies, which are expected to form in so-called atomic cooling haloes with virial temperatures Tvir ≥ 104 K. As previous calculations have shown that a high Jeans resolution is needed to resolve turbulent structures and dynamo effects, our calculations employ resolutions of up to 128 cells per Jeans length. The presence of the dynamo can be clearly confirmed for resolutions of at least 64 cells per Jeans length, while saturation occurs at approximate equipartition with turbulent energy. As a result of the large Reynolds numbers in primordial galaxies, we expect saturation to occur at early stages, implying magnetic field strengths of ∼0.1 μG at densities of 104 cm−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic cooling haloes with virial temperatures Tvir ≥ 104 K are the most plausible sites for the formation of the first galaxies and the first intermediate-mass black holes. It is therefore important to assess whether one can obtain robust results concerning their main properties from numerical simulations. A major uncertainty is the presence of turbulence, which is barely resolved in cosmological simulations. We explore the latter both by pursuing high-resolution simulations with up to 64 cells per Jeans length and by incorporating a subgrid-scale turbulence model to account for turbulent pressure and viscosity on unresolved scales. We find that the main physical quantities in the halo, in particular the density, temperature and energy density profile, are approximately converged. However, the morphologies in the central 500 au change significantly with increasing resolution and appear considerably more turbulent. In a systematic comparison of three different haloes, we further found that the turbulence subgrid-scale model gives rise to more compact central structures and decreases the amount of vorticity. Such compact morphologies may in particular favour the accretion on to the central object. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]