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GMC collisions as triggers of star formation : II. 3D turbulent, magnetized simulations

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Abstract
We investigate giant molecular cloud collisions and their ability to induce gravitational instability and thus star formation. This mechanism may be a major driver of star formation activity in galactic disks. We carry out a series of 3D, magnetohydrodynamics ( MHD), adaptive mesh refinement simulations to study how cloud collisions trigger formation of dense filaments and clumps. Heating and cooling functions are implemented based on photodissociation region models that span the atomic- to- molecular transition and can return detailed diagnostic information. The clouds are initialized with supersonic turbulence and a range of magnetic field strengths and orientations. Collisions at various velocities and impact parameters are investigated. Comparing and contrasting colliding and non- colliding cases, we characterize morphologies of dense gas, magnetic field structure, cloud kinematic signatures, and cloud dynamics. We present key observational diagnostics of cloud collisions, especially: relative orientations between magnetic fields and density structures, like filaments; (CO)-C-31(J. =. 2-1), (CO)-C-31( J.=. 3-2), and (CO)-C-12(J. =.8- 7) integrated intensity maps and spectra; and cloud virial parameters. We compare these results to observed Galactic clouds.
Keywords
CLOUD-CLOUD COLLISIONS, GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUDS, INFRARED DARK CLOUDS, GALACTIC RING SURVEY, GRAVITATIONAL-INSTABILITY, ISOLATING SIGNATURES, FORMATION EFFICIENCY, VELOCITY DISPERSION, CLUSTER FORMATION, NEBULA, CLUSTER, ISM: clouds, ISM: kinematics and dynamics, ISM: lines and bands, ISM:, magnetic fields, ISM: structure, methods: numerical

Citation

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MLA
Wu, Benjamin, et al. “GMC Collisions as Triggers of Star Formation : II. 3D Turbulent, Magnetized Simulations.” ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, vol. 835, no. 2, 2017, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/835/2/137.
APA
Wu, B., Tan, J. C., Nakamura, F., Van Loo, S., Christie, D., & Collins, D. (2017). GMC collisions as triggers of star formation : II. 3D turbulent, magnetized simulations. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 835(2). https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/2/137
Chicago author-date
Wu, Benjamin, Jonathan C. Tan, Fumitaka Nakamura, Sven Van Loo, Duncan Christie, and David Collins. 2017. “GMC Collisions as Triggers of Star Formation : II. 3D Turbulent, Magnetized Simulations.” ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 835 (2). https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/2/137.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Wu, Benjamin, Jonathan C. Tan, Fumitaka Nakamura, Sven Van Loo, Duncan Christie, and David Collins. 2017. “GMC Collisions as Triggers of Star Formation : II. 3D Turbulent, Magnetized Simulations.” ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 835 (2). doi:10.3847/1538-4357/835/2/137.
Vancouver
1.
Wu B, Tan JC, Nakamura F, Van Loo S, Christie D, Collins D. GMC collisions as triggers of star formation : II. 3D turbulent, magnetized simulations. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL. 2017;835(2).
IEEE
[1]
B. Wu, J. C. Tan, F. Nakamura, S. Van Loo, D. Christie, and D. Collins, “GMC collisions as triggers of star formation : II. 3D turbulent, magnetized simulations,” ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, vol. 835, no. 2, 2017.
@article{8769128,
  abstract     = {{We investigate giant molecular cloud collisions and their ability to induce gravitational instability and thus star formation. This mechanism may be a major driver of star formation activity in galactic disks. We carry out a series of 3D, magnetohydrodynamics ( MHD), adaptive mesh refinement simulations to study how cloud collisions trigger formation of dense filaments and clumps. Heating and cooling functions are implemented based on photodissociation region models that span the atomic- to- molecular transition and can return detailed diagnostic information. The clouds are initialized with supersonic turbulence and a range of magnetic field strengths and orientations. Collisions at various velocities and impact parameters are investigated. Comparing and contrasting colliding and non- colliding cases, we characterize morphologies of dense gas, magnetic field structure, cloud kinematic signatures, and cloud dynamics. We present key observational diagnostics of cloud collisions, especially: relative orientations between magnetic fields and density structures, like filaments; (CO)-C-31(J. =. 2-1), (CO)-C-31( J.=. 3-2), and (CO)-C-12(J. =.8- 7) integrated intensity maps and spectra; and cloud virial parameters. We compare these results to observed Galactic clouds.}},
  articleno    = {{137}},
  author       = {{Wu, Benjamin and Tan, Jonathan C. and Nakamura, Fumitaka and Van Loo, Sven and Christie, Duncan and Collins, David}},
  issn         = {{0004-637X}},
  journal      = {{ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL}},
  keywords     = {{CLOUD-CLOUD COLLISIONS,GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUDS,INFRARED DARK CLOUDS,GALACTIC RING SURVEY,GRAVITATIONAL-INSTABILITY,ISOLATING SIGNATURES,FORMATION EFFICIENCY,VELOCITY DISPERSION,CLUSTER FORMATION,NEBULA,CLUSTER,ISM: clouds,ISM: kinematics and dynamics,ISM: lines and bands,ISM:,magnetic fields,ISM: structure,methods: numerical}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{23}},
  title        = {{GMC collisions as triggers of star formation : II. 3D turbulent, magnetized simulations}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/2/137}},
  volume       = {{835}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}

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