Cosmic ray-driven magnetohydrodynamic waves in magnetized self-gravitating dusty molecular clouds

The impact of galactic cosmic rays (CRs) in terms of CR pressure and parallel CR diffusion has been investigated on the low-frequency magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves and linear gravitational instability in the typical dusty plasma environment of molecular clouds (MCs). The dusty fluid model is formulated by combining the equations of the magnetized electrons/ions and dust particles, including the CR effects. The interactions between CR fluid and gravitating magnetized dusty plasma have been studied with the help of modified dispersion properties of the MHD waves and instabilities using the hydrodynamic fluid-fluid (CR-plasma) approach. CR diffusion affects the coupling of CR pressure-driven mode with dust-Alfven MHD mode and causes damping in the MHD waves. It persists in its effect along the direction of the magnetic field and is diminished across the magnetic field. The phase-speed diagram shows that for super-Alfvenic wave, the slow mode becomes the intermediate Alfven mode. The fundamental Jeans instability criterion remains unaffected due to CR effects, but in the absence of CR diffusion, the effects of dust-acoustic speed and CR pressure-driven wave speed are observed in the instability criterion. It is found that CR pressure stabilizes while CR diffusion destabilizes the growth rates of Jeans instability and significantly affects the gravitational collapse of dusty MCs. The charged dust grains play a dominant role in the sub-Alfvenic and super-Alfvenic MHD waves and the collapse of MCs, triggering gravitational instability. The consequences have been discussed to understand the gravitational instability in the dense photodissociation regions of dusty MCs.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impact of galactic cosmic rays (CRs) on low-frequency magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves and linear gravitational instability in molecular clouds (MCs). It is found that CR diffusion affects the coupling of CR pressure-driven mode with dust-Alfven MHD mode and causes damping in the MHD waves. Furthermore, CR pressure stabilizes while CR diffusion destabilizes the growth rates of Jeans instability and significantly affects the gravitational collapse of dusty MCs.