We analyze the statistics and star formation rate obtained in high-resolution numerical experiments of forced supersonic turbulence, and compare with observations. We concentrate on a systematic comparison of solenoidal (divergence-free) and compressive (curl-free) forcing, which are two limiting cases of turbulence driving. Our results show that for the same RMS Mach number, compressive forcing produces a three times larger standard deviation of the density probability distribution. When self-gravity is included in the models, the star formation rate is more than one order of magnitude higher for compressive forcing than for solenoidal forcing.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0910.5469,
title = {Solenoidal versus compressive turbulence forcing},
author = {C. Federrath and J. Duval and R. S. Klessen and W. Schmidt and M. -M. Mac Low},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0910.5469},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
1 page, to appear in the proceedings of the IAU General Assembly Joint Discussion 14 "FIR2009: The ISM of Galaxies in the Far-Infrared and Sub-Millimetre", ed. M. Cunningham