The linewidth-size scaling law of molecular gas revisited

Abstract

AbstractThe origin of the linewidth-size (LWS) scaling law, first noticed by Larson three decades ago and ascribed to turbulence, is still a highly debated issue. Not unexpectedly, its properties depend on the environment and on the line tracer used. When the optically thick 12CO (J=1-0) line is used, a specific medium is sampled: the translucent molecular gas of moderate density that builds up the bulk of the molecular interstellar medium in galaxies like the Milky Way. The sensitivity of the 12CO line to this gas is such that the LWS is found to hold over almost five orders of magnitude in lengthscale, although with a considerable scatter (± 0.5 dex). It also appears to split into two regimes, depending on the gas mass surface density: below a given threshold that is proposed to be linked to the galactic structure, it bears the signature of a turbulent cascade, while above it, the scaling law is ascribed to virial balance. Large deviations from the LWS scaling law are observed at small scales where signatures of turbulent intermittency appear. The mass-size scaling law built with the 12CO (J=1-0) line also splits into two regimes. The mass surface density is uniform (also with a large scatter) above lengthscales ~ 10pc and increases with size at smaller scales, following turbulence predictions. The two thresholds define an average gas density nH ~ 300 cm−3.