EPoS Contribution
EPoS Contribution
Assessing approximations in models of radiative feedback

Thomas Haworth
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
I am systematically investigating the impact of various physical processes and approximations in models of radiative feedback in star forming regions. Typically models of this phenomenon consider hydrogen only gas with simple radiation transport and thermal balance coupled to a hydrodynamics solver with self gravity. I am using the Monte Carlo radiation transport and hydrodynamics code torus to investigate the impact on such models of
- hydrogen only gas versus H, He and metals
- photodissociation region (pdr) heating
- diffuse field radiation
- the manner of thermal balance treatment
- photoionization equilibrium
- dust
- x-rays
- self-gravity
- and resolution.
So far I find no convergence with approximations or resolution which implies that it is difficult to draw quantitative conclusions from current models. I also find that typically the disruption to the density field is reduced in more complex models, implying that the ability of massive stars to induce triggering, but also to quench star formation by dispersing gas, could be being overestimated to date.
Caption: A selection of snapshots from radiative feedback models with different approximations. The resolution increases from top to bottom and the approximations employed differ from left to right.
Collaborators:
T. Harries, University of Exeter, UK
D. Acreman, University of Exeter, UK
T. Bisbas, University College London, UK
C. Clarke, Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK
Suggested Session: Massive Star Formation and Feedback