3D simulations of the fragmentation of photoevaporating clumps embedded in a stellar wind

Abstract

We present 3D numerical simulations of the interaction of a dense, neutral clump with an impinging external wind+ionizing photon field. We find that models with very weak ionizing photon fields produce clumps that fragment as the time evolution proceeds, in agreement with previous clump/wind interaction models. Models with stronger ionizing photon fields present less fragmentation, and for strong enough photon fields only a single, dense condensation is produced. © Copyright 2005: Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.