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Effects of the Equation of State on the Formation of Star Clusters

We study the effect of varying the equation of state on the formation of stellar clusters in turbulent molecular clouds, using three-dimensional, smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations. Our results show that the equation of state helps determine how strongly self-gravitating gas fragments. The degree of fragmentation decreases with increasing \new{polytropic exponent} $γ$ in the range $0.2 < γ< 1.4$, although the total amount of \new{mass accreted onto collapsed fragments} appears to remain roughly constant through that range. Low values of $γ$ are expected to lead to the formation of dense clusters of low-mass stars, while $γ>1$ probably results in the formation of isolated and massive stars. Fragmentation and collapse ceases entirely for $γ> 1.4$ as expected from analytic arguments. The mass spectrum of overdense gas clumps is roughly log-normal for {\em non}-self-gravitating turbulent gas, but changes to a power-law under the action of gravity. The spectrum of collapsed cores, on the other hand, remains log-normal for $γ\le 1$, but flattens markedly for $γ>1$. The density PDFs approach log-normal, with widths that decrease with increasing $γ$. Primordial gas may have effective $γ> 1$, in which case these results could help explain why models of the formation of the first stars tend to produce isolated, massive objects.