The thermodynamics of disc fragmentation and the properties of the objects produced
Meeting Room 2, CMS
We suggest that stars like our Sun should sometimes form with massive discs, and we show, by means of radiative hydrodynamic simulations, that the outer parts of such discs are likely to fragment on a dynamical time-scale, forming low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary- mass objects. The disc thermodynamics play a critical role in this process. We will present the predictions of this model and we will compare these predictions with the observed properties of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. In particular, we will show that the model of disc fragmentation can explain the binary properties of low-mass stars, the brown dwarf desert, and the existence of free-floating planetary mass objects. We will also discuss predictions of the model that can be tested by future observations.