Statistical properties of young Brown Dwarfs and their disks in simulated Star formation environments

The present work comprises a comparative study with a focus on the statistical properties of young stars and brown dwarves and their protoplanetary disks, as extracted from numerical simulations of stellar cluster formation. In order to examine how the inclusion of magnetic fields and radiative processes influences the formation and evolution of disks as well as the distribution of stellar masses, we compare the classical hydrodynamic SPH simulations by Bate with new magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. The latter include non-ideal effects such as ambipolar diffusion, radiative feedback, and, in some cases, sub-grid treatments for protostellar jets. A central objective of the study has been the exploration of extreme regions in the parameter space of protoplanetary disks, with particular emphasis on the correlations between disk mass, stellar mass, accretion rates, and radius distributions. Through a comparative analysis of results obtained with classical and MHD models, the thesis aims to assess the robustness of existing theoretical frameworks and to identify potential discrepancies arising from the introduction of additional physical ingredients, such as the influence of magnetic fields and feedback mechanisms. The results of the study demonstrate that, while Bate’s model provides a robust framework for simulating disk and brown dwarf formation, the incorporation of magnetic and radiative effects results in substantial variations in disk properties, impacting both angular momentum transport and the fragmentation process of molecular clouds. We identify a variety of observables that could be compared with models to understand the importance of the different physical effects in different star formation environments. Our methodology can be expanded in the future to analyze a broader set of simulations covering the diversity of environments expected in the Galaxy. Ultimately, these methodology will allow us to define the initial conditions for planet formation.