The Evolution of the Angular Momentum Distribution during Star Formation

Abstract

If the angular momentum of the molecular cloud core were conserved during the star formation process, a new-born star would rotate much faster than its fission speed. This constitutes the angular momentum problem of new-born stars. In this paper, the angular momentum transfer in the contraction of a rotating magnetized cloud is studied with axisymmetric MHD simulations. Owing to the large dynamic range covered by the nested-grid method, the structure of the cloud in the range from 10 AU to 0.1 pc is explored. First, the cloud experiences a run-away collapse, and a disk forms perpendicularly to the magnetic field, in which the central density increases greatly in a finite time-scale. In this phase, the specific angular momentum j of the disk decreases to $\simeq 1/3$ of the initial cloud. After the central density of the disk exceeds $\sim 10^{10}{\rm cm}^{-3}$, the infall on to the central object develops. In this accretion stage, the rotation motion and thus the toroidal magnetic field drive the outflow. The angular momentum of the central object is transferred efficiently by the outflow as well as the effect of the magnetic stress. In 7000 yr from the core formation, the specific angular momentum of the central $0.17M_\odot$ decreases a factor of 10^{-4} from the initial value (i.e. from $10^{20}{\rm cm^2 s^{-1}}$ to $10^{16}{\rm cm^2 s^{-1}}$).