Related papers: Magnetic Fields in Molecular Clouds -- Observation…
Magnetic fields (B-fields) play an important role in molecular cloud fragmentation and star formation, but are very difficult to detect. The temporal correlation between the field strength (B) and gas density (n) of an isolated cloud has…
We (Li et al. 2009; Paper-I) compared the magnetic field directions inferred from polarimetry data obtained from 100-pc scale inter-cloud media (ICM) and from sub-pc scale molecular cloud cores. The highly correlated result led us to…
Observations of magnetic field strengths imply that molecular cloud fragments are individually close to being in a magnetically critical state, even though both magnetic field and column density measurements range over two orders of…
One of the key problems in star formation research is to determine the role of magnetic fields. Starting from the atomic inter-cloud medium (ICM) which has density nH ~ 1 per cubic cm, gas must accumulate from a volume several hundred pc…
The orientations of filamentary molecular clouds in the Gould Belt and their local ICM (inter-cloud media) magnetic fields are studied using near-infrared dust extinction maps and optical stellar polarimetry data. These filamentary clouds…
The characterization of magnetic fields within molecular clouds is fundamental to understanding star formation processes. Accurately gauging the three-dimensional structure of these fields presents a challenge, as observational techniques…
We have carried out an extensive survey of magnetic field strengths toward dark cloud cores in order to test models of star formation: ambipolar-diffusion driven or turbulence driven. The survey involved $\sim500$ hours of observing with…
Magnetic fields of molecular clouds in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) have been relatively underobserved at sub-parsec resolution. Here we report JCMT/POL2 observations of polarized dust emission in the CMZ, which reveal magnetic field…
(Abridged) We present a series of decaying turbulence simulations that represent a cluster-forming clump within a molecular cloud, investigating the role of magnetic fields on the formation of potential star-forming cores. We present an…
We revisit the relation between magnetic-field strength ($B$) and gas density ($\rho$) for contracting interstellar clouds and fragments (or, cores), which is central in observationally determining the dynamical importance of magnetic…
We present the results of an extensive Arecibo observational survey of magnetic field strengths in the inter-core regions of molecular clouds to determine their role in the evolution and collapse of molecular clouds as a whole. Sensitive 18…
During the star formation process, the interplay between gravity, turbulence, and B-fields is significant, with B-fields apparently serving a regulatory function. However, the extent to which B-fields are decisive relative to turbulence and…
Star formation is primarily controlled by the interplay between gravity, turbulence, and magnetic fields. However, the turbulence and magnetic fields in molecular clouds near the Galactic Center may differ substantially from spiral-arm…
The magnetic field strength in molecular clouds is a fundamental quantity for theories of star formation. It is estimated by Zeeman splitting measurements in a few dense molecular cores, but its volume--averaged value within large molecular…
Recent measurements of the Zeeman effect in dark-cloud cores provide important tests for theories of cloud dynamics and prestellar core formation. In this Letter we report results of simulated Zeeman measurements, based on radiative…
We perform ideal MHD high resolution AMR simulations with driven turbulence and self-gravity and find that long filamentary molecular clouds are formed at the converging locations of large-scale turbulence flows and the filaments are…
(abridged) Together with gravity, turbulence, and stellar feedback, magnetic fields (B-fields) are thought to play a critical role in the evolution of molecular clouds and star formation processes. We aim to map the morphology and measure…
The magnetic field of molecular clouds (MCs) plays an important role in the process of star formation: it determins the statistical properties of supersonic turbulence that controls the fragmentation of MCs, controls the angular momentum…
This review summarizes the argument for molecular clouds being dominated by turbulence, most likely super-Alfvenic turbulence. Five lines of observational evidence are given: molecular linewidths and line shapes, nonequilibrium chemical…
The question whether magnetic fields play an important role in the processes of molecular cloud and star formation has been debated for decades. Recent observations have revealed a simple picture that may help illuminate these questions:…