Related papers: Turbulent Mixing in the Interstellar Medium -- an …
(Abridged). In this paper, we present results from a large set of numerical simulations that demonstrate that H2 formation occurs rapidly in turbulent gas. Starting with purely atomic hydrogen, large quantities of molecular hydrogen can be…
We present results from high-resolution three-dimensional simulations of turbulent interstellar gas that self-consistently follow its coupled thermal, chemical and dynamical evolution, with a particular focus on the formation and…
An overview is presented of the main properties of the interstellar medium. Evidence is summarized that the interstellar medium is highly turbulent, driven on different length scales by various energetic processes. Large-scale turbulence…
Observations of spiral galaxies show a strong linear correlation between the ratio of molecular to atomic hydrogen surface density R_mol and midplane pressure. To explain this, we simulate three-dimensional, magnetized turbulence, including…
We investigate the interplay between the ionization radiation from massive stars and the turbulence inside the surrounding molecular gas thanks to 3D numerical simulations. We used the 3D hydrodynamical code HERACLES to model an initial…
We present results from high-resolution three-dimensional simulations of the turbulent interstellar medium that study the influence of the nature of the turbulence on the formation of molecular hydrogen. We have examined both solenoidal…
We discuss HD and MHD compressible turbulence as a cloud-forming and cloud-structuring mechanism in the ISM. Results from a numerical model of the turbulent ISM at large scales suggest that the phase-like appearance of the medium, the…
Molecular hydrogen clouds are a key component of the interstellar medium because they are the birthplaces for stars. They are embedded in atomic gas that pervades the interstellar space. However, the details of how molecular clouds assemble…
The majority of hydrogen in the interstellar medium (ISM) is in atomic form. The transition from atoms to molecules and, in particular, the formation of the H$_2$ molecule, is a key step in cosmic structure formation en route to stars.…
Molecular hydrogen has an important role in the early stages of star formation as well as in the production of many other molecules that have been detected in the interstellar medium. In this review we show that it is now possible to study…
Many theoretical and laboratory studies predict H2 to be formed in highly excited ro-vibrational states. The consequent relaxation of excited levels via a cascade of infrared transitions might be observable in emission from suitable…
How does turbulence contribute to the formation and structure of the dense interstellar medium (ISM)? Molecular clouds are dense, high-pressure objects. It is usually argued that gravitational confinement causes the high pressures, and that…
H2 is the simplest and the most abundant molecule in the ISM, and its formation precedes the formation of other molecules. Understanding the dynamical influence of the environment and the interplay between the thermal processes related to…
The diffuse interstellar medium is dynamic, and its chemistry and evolution is determined by shock fronts as well as photodissociation. Shocks are implied by the supersonic motions and velocity dispersion often statistically called…
Nearby spiral galaxies show an extremely tight correlation between tracers of molecular hydrogen (H_2) in the interstellar medium (ISM) and tracers of recent star formation, but it is unclear whether this correlation is fundamental or…
Atmospheric convection behaves differently in hydrogen-rich atmospheres compared to higher mean molecular weight atmospheres due to compositional gradients of tracers. Previous 1D studies predict that when a condensible tracer exceeds a…
Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) are dominated by supersonic turbulence, creating a complex network of shocks and filaments that regulate star formation. While the global inefficiency of star formation is well-observed, predicting exactly…
The influence of turbulent mixing on the chemistry of the interstellar medium has so far received little attention. Previous studies of this effect have suggested that it might play an important role in mixing the various phases of the…
We report on single-dish radio CO observations towards the inter-galactic medium (IGM) of the Stephan's Quintet (SQ) group of galaxies. Extremely bright mid-IR H2 rotational line emission from warm molecular gas has been detected by Spitzer…
The interstellar atomic hydrogen is known to be a 2-phase medium in which turbul ence plays an important r\^ole. Here we present high resolution numerical simulations describing the gas from tens of parsec down to hundreds of AU. This high…