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A.K. Hernandez (U.Colorado), J.P. Williams (IfA, U.Hawaii), E.G. Zweibel (U.Wisconsin)
Previous research has hinted that magnetic fields play a key role in the formation of cores in star forming molecular clouds. However, the extent of that role is not fully understood. Here, we compare polarization data of observed cores with clumps formed in a simulated model of turbulent molecular clouds. Through an investigation of the polarized angle dispersion of both sets of data, it was found that the simulations were accurate in representing cores formed with either a low turbulence or within a relatively strong magnetic field. Also, through investigation of data's polarized flux, the observed sources are found to have formed in fields that are more ordered than those modeled in the simulations. This finding is also supported by the calculated magnetic field strengths of the observed cores via the Chandrasekhar-Fermi method. This research will aid in understanding the conditions of star formation within turbulent molecular clouds.
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The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: Audra.Hernandez@colorado.edu
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35#5
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.