Abstract
BINARY pre-main-sequence stars1,2 seem to occur as frequently as binary main-sequence stars3,4; triple pre-main-sequence star systems have also been detected5, and hierarchical main-sequence multiple stars continue to be identified6. (Hierarchical systems contain both closely spaced stars and stars orbiting at much greater distances.) These observations suggest that essentially all binary stars were formed before the main-sequence phase of evolution. The detection of a number of binary young stellar objects7,8 seems to indicate that binary formation must occur no later than the protostellar phase (further observations are needed to establish if this is the case for multiple star systems). Here I describe numerical hydrodynamical calculations showing that stable hierarchical systems of multiple protostellar cores can form through gravitationally driven fragmentation during the collapse of an isolated gas cloud, suggesting that the hierarchical systems observed may be the result of the hydrodynamical collapse of rapidly rotating clouds.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Mathieu, R. D., Walter, F. M. & Myers, P. C. Astr. J. 98, 987–1001 (1989).
Chen, W. P., Simon, M., Longmore, A. J., Howell, R. R. & Benson, J. A. Astrophys. J. 357, 224–230 (1990).
Abt, H. A. Ann. Rev. astr. Astrophys. 21, 343–372 (1983).
Duquennoy, A. & Mayor, M. in Proc. XI Eur. Regional Astr. Meeting IAU (ed. Vasquez, M.) (Cambridge University Press, UK. in the press).
Zinnecker, H. in Low Mass Star Formation & Pre-Main-Sequence Objects (ed. Reipurth, B.) 447–469 (European Southern Observatory, Garching, 1989).
McCarthy, D. W. Jr., Henry, T. J., McLeod, B. & Christou, J. C. Astr. J. 101, 214–219 (1991).
Wootten, A. Astrophys J. 337, 858–864 (1989).
Sasselov, D. D. & Rucinski, S. M. Astrophys J. 351, 578–582 (1990).
Boss, A. P. Comments Astrophys 12, 169–190 (1988).
Boss, A. P. in Close Binaries (eds Sahade, J., McCluskey, G. & Kondo, Y.) (Kluwer, Dordrecht, in the press).
Pringle, J. E. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 239, 361–370 (1989).
Pringle, J. E. in NASA ASI Conf. Proc. Star Formation (ed. Kylafis, N.) (Kluwer, Dordrecht, in the press).
Bodenheimer, P., Tohline, J. E. & Black, D. C. Astrophys. J. 242, 209–218 (1980).
Miyama, S. M., Hayashi, C. & Narita, S. Astrophys J. 279, 621–632 (1984).
Norman, M. L. & Winkler, K.-H. in Astrophysical Radiation Hydrodynamics (eds Winkler, K.-H. & Norman, M. L.) 187–221 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1986).
Norman, M. L., Wilson, J. R. & Barton, R. T. Astrophys J. 239, 968–981 (1980).
Mönchmeyer, R. & Müller, E. Astr. Astrophys. 217, 351–367 (1989).
Tscharnuter, W. M. & Winkler, K.-H. Comput. Phys. Comm. 18, 171 (1979).
Myers, P. C. & Benson, P. J. Astrophys J. 266, 309–320 (1983).
Myers, P. C. Astrophys J. 270, 105–118 (1983).
Benson, P. J. & Myers, P. C. Astrophys J. Suppl. Ser. 71, 89–108 (1989).
Arquilla, R. & Goldsmith, P. F. Astrophys. J. 303, 356–374 (1986).
Heyer, M. H. Astrophys. J. 324, 311–320 (1988).
Myers, P. C. & Goodman, A. A. Astrophys. J. 329, 392–405 (1988).
Boss, A. P. Astrophys. J. 319, 149–161 (1987).
Boss, A. P. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 209, 543–567 (1984).
Artymowicz, P., Clarke, C. J., Lubow, S. H. & Pringle, J. E. Astrophys. J. (in the press).
Clarke, C. J. & Pringle, J. E. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. (in the press).
Bodenheimer, P. Astrophys. J. 224, 488–496 (1978).
Graziani, F. & Black, D. C. Astrophys. J. 251, 337–341 (1981).
Black, D. C. Astr. J. 87, 1333–1337 (1982).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Boss, A. Formation of hierarchical multiple protostellar cores. Nature 351, 298–300 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/351298a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/351298a0
This article is cited by
-
A study on the formation of field, binary or multiple stars: a 2D approach through dynamical system
Astrophysics and Space Science (2021)
-
The extreme initial kinetic energy allowed by a collapsing turbulent core
Astrophysics and Space Science (2018)
-
Comparing binary systems from rotating parent gas structures with different total masses
Astrophysics and Space Science (2017)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.