Ionisation and the formation of low-mass protostars

Molecular clouds are known to have strong magnetic fields and low ionisation rates. Numerical simulations performed with these more realistic conditions yield results closer to those observed, and furthermore, suggest additional observational signatures not yet explored. I will discuss my simulations of the formation of a single protostar starting from one solar mass of gas; the models include a self-consistent treatment of all three non-ideal MHD processes. My focus will be on how the ionisation parameters and non-ideal MHD processes affect the formation of the protostar and its environment.