Molecular Clouds as Ensembles of Transient Cores

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 638; no. 2; pp. 827 - 838
• Main Authors: Garrod, R. T, Williams, D. A, Rawlings, J. M. C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL IOP Publishing 20-02-2006; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Astronomy; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; stars: formation; ISM: individual (L673); Star formation; Molecular clouds; ISM: molecules; ISM: clouds; ISM: structure
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.1086/498888

We construct models of molecular clouds that are considered ensembles of transient cores. Each core is assumed to develop in the background gas of the cloud, grow to high density, and decay into the background. The chemistry in each core responds to the dynamical state of the gas and to the gas-dust interaction. Ices are deposited on the dust grains in the core's dense phase, and this material is returned to the gas as the core expands to low density. The cores of the ensemble typically number 1000, are placed randomly in position within the cloud, and are assigned a random evolutionary phase. The models are used to generate molecular line contour maps of a typical dark cloud. These maps are found to represent extremely well the characteristic features of observed maps of the dark cloud L673, which has been observed at both low and high resolution. The computed maps are found to exhibit the general morphology of the observed maps and to generate similar sizes of emitting regions, molecular column densities, and the separations between peaks of emissions of various molecular species. The models give insight into the nature of molecular clouds and the dynamical processes occurring within them and significantly constrain dynamical and chemical processes in the interstellar medium.