Radiation transport methods in star formation simulations

0584655 - ASÚ 2025 RIV CH eng J - Journal Article
Wünsch, Richard
Radiation transport methods in star formation simulations.
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences. Roč. 11, March (2024), č. článku 1346812. E-ISSN 2296-987X
Institutional support: RVO:67985815
Keywords : smoothed particle hydrodynamics * flux-limited diffusion * monte-carlo photoionization
OECD category: Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science)
Impact factor: 3, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access

Radiation transport plays a crucial role in star formation models, as certain questions within this field cannot be accurately addressed without taking it into account. Given the high complexity of the interstellar medium from which stars form, numerical simulations are frequently employed to model the star formation process. This study reviews recent methods for incorporating radiation transport into star formation simulations, discussing them in terms of the used algorithms, treatment of radiation frequency dependence, the interaction of radiation with the gas, and the parallelization of methods for deployment on supercomputers. Broadly, the algorithms fall into two categories: i) moment-based methods, encompassing the flux-limited diffusion approximation, M1 closure, and variable Eddington tensor methods, and ii) methods directly solving the radiation transport equation, including forward and reverse ray tracing, characteristics-based methods, and Monte Carlo techniques. Beyond discussing advantages and disadvantages of these methods, the review also lists recent radiation hydrodynamic codes implemented the described methods.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0353708