Manifestations of electric currents in interstellar molecular clouds

Details Manifestations of electric currents in interstellar molecular clouds Manifestations of electric currents in interstellar molecular clouds

Dec 1991

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1991stin...9317638c&link_type=abstract

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Computer Science

Electric Current, Interstellar Matter, Molecular Clouds, Electron Mobility, Magnetic Clouds, Magnetohydrodynamics, Pinch Effect

Scientific paper

Filamentary structures in molecular clouds and the existence of subfilaments of sinusoidal shape and also of helixlike structures are investigated. For two dark clouds, the Lynds 204 complex and the Sandqvist 187-188 complex, such shapes and the possible existence of helices wound around the main filaments are studied. All these features suggest the existence of electric currents and magnetic fields in these clouds. On the basis of a generalization of the Bennett pinch model, the magnitudes of the currents expected to flow in the filaments are derived. Values of column densities, magnetic field strengths, and direction of the fields are derived from observations. Magnetic fields with both toroidal and axial components are considered. The study shows that axial currents of the order of a few times 10 to the 13th power A are necessary for the clouds to be in equilibrium. The mean electron velocities are of the order of 0.01 to 0.00001 m/s, much lower than the thermal velocities in the clouds. It is suggested that helical structures may evolve as a result of various instabilities in the pinched clouds. Attention is given to the kink instability in connection with the sinusoidal shapes. The existence of electromagnetically controlled features in the interstellar clouds can be tested by further observations.

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