Accretion and Diffusion Timescales in Sheets and Filaments
arXiv:1406.2191 · doi:10.1093/mnras/stu1147
Abstract
A comparison of accretion and (turbulent) magnetic diffusion timescales for sheets and filaments demonstrates that dense star-forming clouds generally will -- under realistic conditions -- become supercritical due to mass accretion on timescales at least an order of magnitude shorter than ambipolar and/or turbulent diffusion timescales. Thus, ambipolar or turbulent diffusion -- while present -- is unlikely to control the formation of cores and stars.
12 pages, 6 figures, accepted by MNRAS