Filamentary Hierarchies and Superbubbles: Galactic Multiscale MHD Simulations of GMC to Star Cluster Formation

TL;DR

This study uses advanced multi-scale MHD simulations to explore the formation of filamentary structures, GMCs, and star clusters within a Milky Way-like galaxy, revealing the role of feedback, turbulence, and magnetic fields.

Contribution

It introduces a novel zoom-in simulation technique that captures galactic to sub-parsec scales without removing the galactic environment, enabling detailed study of multiscale structure formation.

Findings

Hierarchical filament and superbubble structures observed.

Gas accretion drives gravitational instabilities leading to GMCs and clusters.

Helical magnetic fields form alongside disk-like structures.

Abstract

There is now abundant observational evidence that star formation is a highly dynamical process that connects filament hierarchies and supernova feedback from galaxy scale kpc filaments and superbubbles, to giant molecular clouds (GMCs) on 100 pc scales and star clusters (1 pc). Here we present galactic multi-scale MHD simulations that track the formation of structure from galactic down to sub pc scales in a magnetized, Milky Way like galaxy undergoing supernova driven feedback processes. We do this by adopting a novel zoom-in technique that follows the evolution of typical 3-kpc sub regions without cutting out the surrounding galactic environment, allowing us to reach 0.28 pc resolution in the individual zoom-in regions. We find a wide range of morphologies and hierarchical structure including superbubbles, turbulence, kpc atomic gas filaments hosting multiple GMC condensations that are often associated with superbubble compression; down to smaller scale filamentary GMCs and star cluster regions within them. Gas accretion and compression ultimately drive filaments over a critical, scale - dependent, line mass leading to gravitational instabilities that produce GMCs and clusters. In quieter regions, galactic shear can produce filamentary GMCs within flattened, rotating disk-like structures on 100 pc scales. Strikingly, our simulations demonstrate the formation of helical magnetic fields associated with the formation of these disk like structures.