Formation Mechanism of Laser-Driven Magnetized "Pillars of Creation"

Pillars of Creation, one of the most recognized objects in the sky, are believed to be associated with the formation of young stars. However, so far, the formation and maintenance mechanism for the pillars are still not fully understood due to the complexity of the nonlinear radiation magneto-hydrodynamics (RMHD). Here, assuming laboratory laser-driven conditions, we studied the self-consistent dynamics of pillar structures in magnetic fields by means of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) RMHD simulations, and these results also support our proposed experimental scheme. We find only when the magnetic pressure and ablation pressure are comparable, the magnetic field can significantly alter the plasma hydrodynamics. For medium magnetized cases ($\beta_{initial} \approx 3.5$), {the initial magnetic fields undergo compression and amplification. This amplification results in the magnetic pressure inside the pillar becoming large enough to support the sides of the pillar against radial collapse due to pressure from the surrounding hot plasma. This effect is particularly pronounced for the parallel component ($B_y$), which is consistent with observational results.} In contrast, a strong perpendicular ($B_x, B_z$) magnetic field ($\beta_{initial} < 1$) almost remains its initial distribution and significantly suppresses the expansion of blow-off gas plasma, leading to the inability to form pillar-like structures. The 3D simulations suggest that the bending at the head of `Column \uppercase\expandafter{\romannumeral1}' in pillars of creation may be due to the non-parallel magnetic fields. After similarity scaling transformation, our results can be applied to explain the formation and maintenance mechanism of the pillars, and can also provide useful information for future experimental designs.