Clouds as Turbulent Density Fluctuations. Implications for Pressure Confinement and Production of Hydrostatic Structures.

Details Clouds as Turbulent Density Fluctuations. Implications for Pressure Confinement and Production of Hydrostatic Structures. Clouds as Turbulent Density Fluctuations. Implications for Pressure Confinement and Production of Hydrostatic Structures.

Nov 1998

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1998larm.confe..75v&link_type=abstract

"IX Latin American Regional IAU Meeting, "Focal Points in Latin American Astronomy", held in Tonantzintla, Mexico, Nov 9-13, 199

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We examine the idea that diffuse and giant molecular clouds and their substructure form as density fluctuations induced by large scale interstellar turbulence. We investigate the topology of the velocity, density and magnetic fields within and at the boundaries of the clouds emerging in high- resolution two-dimensional simulations of the ISM including self-gravity, magnetic fields, parameterized heating and cooling and a simple model for star formation. Abrupt velocity jumps are coincident with the density maxima, indicating that the clouds are formed by colliding gas streams. The topology of the magnetic field is also suggestive of the same process, exhibiting bends and reversals where the gas streams collide. We argue that thermal pressure equilibrium is irrelevant for cloud confinement in a turbulent medium, and that turbulent pressure confinement appears self-defeating, because turbulence contains large- scale motions which necessarily distort cloud boundaries. We then discuss the compatibility of the present scenario with observational data. Finally, we argue that the production of quasi-hydrostatic structures within a turbulent medium appears unlikely, because it requires a change of the equation of state during the process of a turbulence-initiated gravitational collapse.

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