From theory to observation: understanding filamentary flows in high-mass star-forming clusters

Molly Wells

Wednesday, Dec. 4th, 11:20CET

Both observational and simulation studies suggest that local environments significantly impact cloud and star formation, with turbulence, stellar feedback, and radiation playing key roles. Molecular clouds are the site of stellar cluster hubs, embedded within extensive filamentary networks. Focusing on these larger-scale filaments, we employ observational techniques from Wells et al. (2024) to determine flow rates using synthetic observations from theoretical simulations. Our analysis utilizes data cubes of 60 × 60 pc with a spatial resolution of 0.28 pc and a velocity resolution of 0.8 km s⁻¹. We examine both "active" and "quiet" data cubes to represent different evolutionary stages, each 'observed' at five inclinations: 0°, 20°, 45°, 70°, and 90°. Filaments within these cubes are identified using the FilFinderPPV package (Koch & Rosolowsky, 2015). Our study aims to investigate flow rates not only along the filamentary structures but also onto the filaments and in polar directions around the star-forming hubs they feed. This work will provide insights into how larger-scale filaments supply material to star-forming regions and assess the properties of these filaments in influencing material flows. Additionally, by applying observational methods to theoretical models, we test the reliability of these techniques in studying filament-driven star formation.