Detailed Numerical Simulations on the Formation of Pillars around HII-regions

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution simulations to explore how ionizing radiation influences the formation and morphology of pillar-like structures in turbulent molecular clouds near HII regions, revealing key physical conditions for their development.

Contribution

It provides a detailed numerical analysis of pillar formation mechanisms, highlighting the role of turbulence, initial density contrasts, and pressure equilibrium, with implications for understanding star formation.

Findings

Pillar structures form naturally due to ionizing radiation enhancing initial turbulence.

Gravitational collapse occurs at the tips of pillars, indicating star formation sites.

Most favorable conditions for pillar formation are Mach 4-10 turbulence.

Abstract

We study the structural evolution of turbulent molecular clouds under the influence of ionizing radiation emitted from a nearby massive star by performing a high resolution parameter study with the iVINE code. The temperature is taken to be 10K or 100K, the mean number density is either 100cm^3 or 300cm^3. Besides, the turbulence is varied between Mach 1.5 and Mach 12.5 and the main driving scale between 1pc and 8pc. We vary the ionizing flux by an order of magnitude. In our simulations the ionizing radiation enhances the initial turbulent density distribution and thus leads to the formation of pillar-like structures observed adjacent to HII regions in a natural way. Gravitational collapse occurs regularly at the tips of the structures. We find a clear correlation between the initial state of the turbulent cold cloud and the final morphology and physical properties of the structures formed. The most favorable regime for the formation of pillars is Mach 4-10. Structures and therefore stars only form if the initial density contrast between the high density unionized gas and the gas that is going to be ionized is lower than the temperature contrast between the hot and the cold gas. The density of the resulting pillars is determined by a pressure equilibrium between the hot and the cold gas. A thorough analysis of the simulations shows that the complex kinematical and geometrical structure of the formed elongated filaments reflects that of observed pillars to an impressive level of detail. In addition, we find that the observed line-of sight velocities allow for a distinct determination of different formation mechanisms. Comparing the current simulations to previous results and recent observations we conclude that e.g. the pillars of creation in M16 formed by the mechanism proposed here and not by the radiation driven implosion of pre-existing clumps.