Coherent Structures and Star Formation: An Updated Story of Islands of Calmness in a Sea of Turbulence

Hope How-Huan Chen

Poster -- Molecular clouds and filaments

In Chen et al. (2018), a population of predominantly pressure-bound coherent cores is revealed using data from the GBT Ammonia Survey. Many of these cores––droplets––are not bound by self-gravity, despite their subsonic velocity dispersions. Initial comparisons with coherent structures in MHD simulations suggest that droplets are formed from shock-induced features, which can become star forming cores through accretion and/or convergence with other similar coherent structures. In this talk, I will first present a follow-up analysis on the internal velocity distribution, probing potential rotational motions inside the droplets. I will then offer a statistical context for the formation of coherent structures based on an analysis of MHD simulations. Lastly, I will present ongoing efforts on assessing the spatial distribution of turbulent pressure and its relation to the formation of coherent structures and star forming cores.