Role of orbital dynamics and cloud-cloud collisions in the formation of giant molecular clouds in global spiral structures

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/165035· OSTI ID:6323722

Roberts, Jr, W W; Stewart, G R

The role of orbit crowding and cloud-cloud collisions in the formation of GMCs and their organization in global spiral structure is investigated. Both N-body simulations of the cloud system and a detailed analysis of individual particle orbits are used to develop a conceptual understanding of how individual clouds participate in the collective density response. Detailed comparisons are made between a representative cloud-particle simulation in which the cloud particles collide inelastically with one another and give birth to and subsequently interact with young star associations and stripped down simulations in which the cloud particles are allowed to follow ballistic orbits in the absence of cloud-cloud collisions or any star formation processes. Orbit crowding is then related to the behavior of individual particle trajectories in the galactic potential field. The conceptual picture of how GMCs are formed in the clumpy ISMs of spiral galaxies is formulated, and the results are compared in detail with those published by other authors. 68 references.

• Research Organization: Virginia Univ., Charlottesville
• OSTI ID: 6323722
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 314; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COLLISIONS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONFIGURATION
COSMIC GASES
FLUIDS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
GASES
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
MOLECULES
MORPHOLOGY
SIMULATION
SPACE
SPIRAL CONFIGURATION
STAR EVOLUTION