On molecular cloud scaling laws and star formation

Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 1991 papers

Abstract

An attempt is made to show that, although Maloney (1990) is correct in arguing that the correlation between CO luminosity and virial mass does not in itself prove that molecular clouds are in virial equilibrium, it is not correct to suggest that there is no good argument for them to be nevertheless controlled gravitationally. A theory of Henriksen and Turner (1984) and Henriksen (1986), which can give a reasonably detailed account of star-forming molecular clouds is extended. This theory assumes that the clouds are close to gravitational virial equilibrium and that they form a dynamically coupled fractal hierarchy. It is suggested for the first time that actual star formation may occur in turbulent subensembles which correspond to the Batchelor inertial range of turbulence with mass diffusivity. The Kolmogorov scale would then be at the upper end of the spatial scales engaged in the star-forming process.

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