Shock-Turbulence Interactions in Star Formation

Michael Foley

Wednesday, Dec. 7th, 11:00CET

Supersonic isothermal turbulence is ubiquitous in the interstellar medium. Recently shocked gas is believed to be ideal for star formation, possessing the density and turbulent structure necessary for collapse. While the density structure of a shock moving into an ambient medium is well-known, the conditions of these so-called "post-shock" regions in turbulent gas remain uncertain. In this talk, we introduce the first results of a full simulation suite of shock-turbulence interactions aimed at constraining the properties of post-shock gas in star-forming environments. Finally, we will introduce a new 3D model of the Orion star-forming region that illustrates where large-scale, shock-induced star formation likely occurred, which will provide an observational testbed for subsequent theoretical predictions.