On the evolution of irradiated turbulence clouds:

A comparative study between modes of triggered star-formation

Background

• Investigate interaction of strong flux of IR (irradiation) with MCs (Molecular Clouds)
• Secondary star formation
• Small molecular clouds can undergo radiation driven implosion
• What about Large molecular clouds?

Evolution of an Irradiated Cloud

• Photo-evaporation time vs free fall time
• Test cloud has a photo-evaporation time ~ 10 free fall times

Method

• SPH code SEREN (open-mp)
• Track location of ionization front from source.
• Material inside is at 8000K - material outside is at 20 K (with some smoothing)

Initial conditions

• mass = 400 solar masses
• radius = 1 pc
• density = 1.6 x 10⁴/cm³ (uniform)
• T=20 K
• Mach 10 Guassian velocity field with steep power-spectrum P(k) \propto k^{-4} from wave numbers 1 to 8 (but no units )
• t_{ff} = .27 \mbox{Myr}

Evolution

• Simulation was run for .2 t_{ff}