Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Mar 1989
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1989aj.....97..783f&link_type=abstract
Astronomical Journal (ISSN 0004-6256), vol. 97, March 1989, p. 783-785.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
5
Interstellar Gas, Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability, Molecular Clouds, Angular Momentum, Gravitational Effects, Shear Flow, Velocity Distribution
Scientific paper
It is suggested that interstellar clouds may derive their rotation from the vortex flow associated with the nonlinear Kelvin-Helmholtz 'rollup' accompanying shear flows in the interstellar medium. The predicted maximum angular velocity, expressed as a ratio with respect to the galactic background, is 100 R(pc) exp -1/2 for a cloud radius R(pc), and the corresponding specific angular momentum is 3 x 10 to the 23rd R(pc) exp 3/2 sq cm/sec. These predictions nicely match the upper envelope of values reported for rotating clouds. It is concluded that, for those clouds that are rotating, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is a viable candidate for providing angular momentum to interstellar material.
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