Investigating the Role of Magnetic Fields in Binary Star Formation

The initial conditions in prestellar cores that lead to single versus binary star systems are debated. The role of magnetic fields, in particular, is uncertain. Observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array telescope (ALMA), which can probe the polarization of thermal emission from dust within star-forming dense cores, suggests that the environments single star systems form in are most similar to those of weakly-magnetized simulations. In this weak-field case, the magnetic field is weak relative to the turbulent pressure and gas pressure; turbulence shapes the material that forms the protostar. However, no such comparison has been conducted for the environments of binary star systems. We expect these systems to be different as the binary companion will interact with the system through mechanisms such as radiation, accretion, and dynamics. In order to compare the outcomes of these two systems, we analyze a simulation of a turbulent, star-forming molecular cloud with moderate-strength magnetic fields. To remain comparable to observations, we model the propagation of the simulation's emission. We also introduce various physics, such as scattering, absorption, and emission processes of the dust and gas. By accounting for effects such as noise and instrumental resolution, we generate "synthetic observations" of the dust polarization that are comparable to ALMA's real observations. We then compare the polarization properties between cores forming single and multiple stars to predict what real observable differences may exist. Comparing the synthetic observations with visualizations of the simulation, we gain physical insight into the role of magnetic fields in star-forming regions.