Small-Scale Structure of the Taurus Molecular Clouds: Turbulence in Heiles' Cloud 2
Abstract
Previously developed statistical tools are used to study the behavior of turbulence in Heiles' Cloud 2. It is demonstrated that gas motions in this cloud are turbulent, constituting well over one-half the kinetic energy density in this source. These motions exhibit a high degree of projected isotropy, suggesting that they are fully isotropic in three dimensions as well. The correlation length of the turbulence is about 0.1 pc, and the coherence characteristics of the velocity field are reminiscent of shear-layer turbulent flows. The dependence of mean turbulent stress on region size is estimated, and higher order effects are found necessary to permit gravitational collapse on selected size scales. Some energetic properties of turbulence in Cloud 2 are briefly considered.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- January 1987
- DOI:
- 10.1086/164930
- Bibcode:
- 1987ApJ...312..837K
- Keywords:
-
- Astronomical Models;
- Gas Density;
- Gas Dynamics;
- Molecular Clouds;
- Turbulence Effects;
- Density Distribution;
- Star Formation;
- Velocity Distribution;
- Astrophysics;
- INTERSTELLAR: MOLECULES;
- TURBULENCE