Non-thermal Motions Research Articles

Anisotropic nonthermal motions in the transition region of solar active regions

Context. We study the nonthermal motions in the transition region of active regions (ARs) using center-to-limb observations of Si IV 1394 Å and 1403 Å lines. Aims. The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of nonthermal motions in the transition region of ARs using the center-to-limb measurement. Methods. We used Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) observations of the Si IV doublet lines 1393.78 Å and 1402.77 Å from the transition region of ARs to analyze nonthermal motions. We compared our analyzed data to similar data for the quiet Sun (QS) regions. We derive the nonthermal width by performing a single Gaussian fitting on the average spectral line profiles of Si IV doublet lines. We carried out a statistical analysis of the nonthermal width using the center-to-limb measurement. Results. We find that the nonthermal motions are clearly decreasing on the disk with increasing distance from disk center. Only close to the limb, clearly beyond μ = 0.4, does the nonthermal broadening increase again towards the limb. The decrease in the nonthermal broadening in ARs away from disk center is markedly different from what is seen in the QS. Conclusions. We conclude that nonthermal motions are anisotropic in ARs, with the vertical component being greater than the horizontal one. In contrast, we find the situation in the QS to be consistent with the findings of previous studies; only opacity effects are responsible for the increase in the nonthermal widths towards the limb, and nonthermal motions are isotropic in the QS.

ALMA Observations of NGC 6334S. II. Subsonic and Transonic Narrow Filaments in a High-mass Star Formation Cloud

Abstract We present a study of narrow filaments toward a massive infrared dark cloud, NGC 6334S, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Thirteen gas filaments are identified using the H13CO+ line, while a single continuum filament is revealed by the continuum emission. The filaments present a compact radial distribution with a median filament width of ∼0.04 pc, narrower than the previously proposed “quasi-universal” 0.1 pc filament width. The higher spatial resolution observations and higher density gas tracer tend to identify even narrower and lower mass filaments. The filament widths are roughly twice the size of embedded cores. The gas filaments are largely supported by thermal motions. The nonthermal motions are predominantly subsonic and transonic in both identified gas filaments and embedded cores, which may imply that stars are likely born in environments of low turbulence. A fraction of embedded objects show a narrower velocity dispersion compared with their corresponding natal filaments, which may indicate that turbulent dissipation is taking place in these embedded cores. The physical properties (mass, mass per unit length, gas kinematics, and width) of gas filaments are analogous to those of narrow filaments found in low- to high-mass star-forming regions. The more evolved sources are found to be farther away from the filaments, a situation that may have resulted from the relative motions between the young stellar objects and their natal filaments.

Multi-scale dynamics in star-forming regions: The interplay between gravity and turbulence

In the multi-scale view of the star formation process the material flows from large molecular clouds down to clumps and cores. In this paradigm it is still unclear if it is gravity or turbulence that drives the observed supersonic non-thermal motions during the collapse, in particular in high-mass regions, and at which scales gravity becomes eventually dominant over the turbulence of the interstellar medium. To investigate this problem we have combined the dynamics of a sample of 70 μm-quiet clumps, selected to cover a wide range of masses and surface densities, with the dynamics of the parent filaments in which they are embedded. We observe a continuous interplay between turbulence and gravity, where the former creates structures at all scales and the latter takes the lead when a critical value of the surface density is reached, Σth = 0.1 g cm−2. In the densest filaments this transition can occur at the parsec, or even larger scales, leading to a global collapse of the whole region and most likely to the formation of the massive objects.

Figuring Out Gas & Galaxies In Enzo (FOGGIE). V. The Virial Temperature Does Not Describe Gas in a Virialized Galaxy Halo

Abstract The classical definition of the virial temperature of a galaxy halo excludes a fundamental contribution to the energy partition of the halo: the kinetic energy of nonthermal gas motions. Using simulations of low-redshift, ∼L* galaxies from the Figuring Out Gas & Galaxies In Enzo (FOGGIE) project that are optimized to resolve low-density gas, we show that the kinetic energy of nonthermal motions is roughly equal to the energy of thermal motions. The simulated FOGGIE halos have ∼2× lower bulk temperatures than expected from a classical virial equilibrium, owing to significant nonthermal kinetic energy that is formally excluded from the definition of T vir. We explicitly derive a modified virial temperature including nonthermal gas motions that provides a more accurate description of gas temperatures for simulated halos in virial equilibrium. Strong bursts of stellar feedback drive the simulated FOGGIE halos out of virial equilibrium, but the halo gas cannot be accurately described by the standard virial temperature even when in virial equilibrium. Compared to the standard virial temperature, the cooler modified virial temperature implies other effects on halo gas: (i) the thermal gas pressure is lower, (ii) radiative cooling is more efficient, (iii) O vi absorbing gas that traces the virial temperature may be prevalent in halos of a higher mass than expected, (iv) gas mass estimates from X-ray surface brightness profiles may be incorrect, and (v) turbulent motions make an important contribution to the energy balance of a galaxy halo.

CLUMP-3D: the lack of non-thermal motions in galaxy cluster cores

ABSTRACT We report the non-thermal pressure fraction (Pnt/Ptot) obtained from a three-dimensional triaxial analysis of 16 galaxy clusters in the CLASH sample using gravitational lensing (GL) data primarily from Subaru and HST, X-ray spectroscopic imaging from Chandra, and Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect (SZE) data from Planck and Bolocam. Our results span the approximate radial range 0.015–0.4 R200m (∼35–1000 kpc). At cluster-centric radii smaller than 0.1 R200m the ensemble average Pnt/Ptot is consistent with zero with an upper limit of 9 per cent, indicating that heating from active galactic nuclei and other relevant processes does not produce significant deviations from hydrostatic equilibrium (HSE). The ensemble average Pnt/Ptot increases outside of this radius to approximately 20 per cent at 0.4 R200m, as expected from simulations, due to newly accreted material thermalizing via a series of shocks. Also in agreement with simulations, we find significant cluster-to-cluster variation in Pnt/Ptot and little difference in the ensemble average Pnt/Ptot based on dynamical state. We conclude that on average, even for diverse samples, HSE-derived masses in the very central regions of galaxy clusters require only modest corrections due to non-thermal motions.

ALMA–IRDC: dense gas mass distribution from cloud to core scales

ABSTRACT Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are potential hosts of the elusive early phases of high mass star formation (HMSF). Here, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the fragmentation properties of a sample of 10 IRDCs, which have been highlighted as some of the best candidates to study HMSF within the Milky Way. To do so, we have obtained a set of large mosaics covering these IRDCs with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at Band 3 (or 3 mm). These observations have a high angular resolution (∼3 arcsec; ∼0.05 pc), and high continuum and spectral line sensitivity (∼0.15 mJy beam−1 and ∼0.2 K per 0.1 km s−1 channel at the N2H+ (1 − 0) transition). From the dust continuum emission, we identify 96 cores ranging from low to high mass (M = 3.4−50.9 M⊙) that are gravitationally bound (αvir = 0.3−1.3) and which would require magnetic field strengths of B = 0.3−1.0 mG to be in virial equilibrium. We combine these results with a homogenized catalogue of literature cores to recover the hierarchical structure within these clouds over four orders of magnitude in spatial scale (0.01–10 pc). Using supplementary observations at an even higher angular resolution, we find that the smallest fragments (<0.02 pc) within this hierarchy do not currently have the mass and/or the density required to form high-mass stars. None the less, the new ALMA observations presented in this paper have facilitated the identification of 19 (6 quiescent and 13 star-forming) cores that retain >16 M⊙ without further fragmentation. These high-mass cores contain trans-sonic non-thermal motions, are kinematically sub-virial, and require moderate magnetic field strengths for support against collapse. The identification of these potential sites of HMSF represents a key step in allowing us to test the predictions from high-mass star and cluster formation theories.

New Insights into the H ii Region G18.88–0.49: Hub–Filament System and Accreting Filaments

Abstract We present an analysis of multiwavelength observations of an area of 0.°27 × 0.°27 around the Galactic H ii region G18.88−0.49, which is powered by an O-type star (age ∼ 105 yr). The Herschel column density map reveals a shell-like feature of extension ∼12 pc × 7 pc and mass ∼2.9 × 104 M ⊙ around the H ii region; its existence is further confirmed by the distribution of molecular (12CO, 13CO, C18O, and NH3) gas at [60, 70] km s−1. Four subregions are studied toward this shell-like feature and show a mass range of ∼0.8–10.5 × 103 M ⊙. These subregions associated with dense gas are dominated by nonthermal pressure and supersonic nonthermal motions. The shell-like feature is associated with the H ii region, Class I protostars, and a massive protostar candidate, illustrating the ongoing early phases of star formation (including massive stars). The massive protostar is found toward the position of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser, and is associated with outflow activity. Five parsec-scale filaments are identified in the column density and molecular maps and appear to be radially directed to the dense parts of the shell-like feature. This configuration is referred to as a “hub–filament” system. Significant velocity gradients (0.8–1.8 km s−1 pc−1) are observed along each filament, suggesting that the molecular gas flows toward the central hub along the filaments. Overall, our observational findings favor a global nonisotropic collapse scenario as discussed in Motte et al., which can explain the observed morphology and star formation in and around G18.88−0.49.

Non-equilibrium atomic simulation for Frenkel–Kontorova model with moving dislocation at finite temperature* *Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11890681, 11832001, and 11988102).

We apply the heat jet approach to realize atomic simulations at finite temperature for a Frenkel–Kontorova chain with moving dislocation. This approach accurately and efficiently controls the system temperature by injecting thermal fluctuations into the system from its boundaries, without modifying the governing equations for the interior domain. This guarantees the dislocation propagating in the atomic chain without nonphysical damping or deformation. In contrast to the non-equilibrium Nosé–Hoover heat bath, the heat jet approach efficiently suppresses boundary reflections while the moving dislocation and interior waves pass across the boundary. The system automatically returns back to the equilibrium state after all non-thermal motions pass away. We further apply this approach to study the impact of periodic potential and temperature field on the velocity of moving dislocation.

Measuring Turbulent Motion in Planet-forming Disks with ALMA: A Detection around DM Tau and Nondetections around MWC 480 and V4046 Sgr

Abstract Turbulence is a crucial factor in many models of planet formation, but it has only been directly constrained among a small number of planet-forming disks. Building on the upper limits on turbulence placed in disks around HD 163296 and TW Hya, we present ALMA CO J = 2–1 line observations at ∼0.″3 (20–50 au) resolution and 80 ms−1 channel spacing of the disks around DM Tau, MWC 480, and V4046 Sgr. Using parametric models of disk structure, we robustly detect nonthermal gas motions around DM Tau of between 0.25c s and 0.33c s , with the range dominated by systematic effects, making this one of the only systems with directly measured nonzero turbulence. Using the same methodology, we place stringent upper limits on the nonthermal gas motion around MWC 480 (<0.08c s ) and V4046 Sgr (<0.12c s ). The preponderance of upper limits in this small sample and the modest turbulence levels consistent with dust studies suggest that weak turbulence (α ≲ 10−3) may be a common, albeit not universal, feature of planet-forming disks. We explore the particular physical conditions around DM Tau that could lead this system to be more turbulent than the others.

ALMA Observations of NGC 6334S. I. Forming Massive Stars and Clusters in Subsonic and Transonic Filamentary Clouds

Abstract We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) observations of the massive infrared dark cloud NGC 6334S (also known as IRDC G350.56+0.44), located at the southwestern end of the NGC 6334 molecular cloud complex. The H13CO+ and NH2D lines covered by the ALMA observations at a ∼3″ angular resolution (∼0.02 pc) reveal that the spatially unresolved nonthermal motions are predominantly subsonic and transonic, a condition analogous to that found in low-mass star-forming molecular clouds. The observed supersonic nonthermal velocity dispersions in massive star-forming regions, often reported in the literature, might be significantly biased by poor spatial resolutions that broaden the observed line widths owing to unresolved motions within the telescope beam. Our 3 mm continuum image resolves 49 dense cores, whose masses range from 0.17 to 14 M ⊙. The majority of them are resolved with multiple velocity components. Our analyses of these gas velocity components find an anticorrelation between the gas mass and the virial parameter. This implies that the more massive structures tend to be more gravitationally unstable. Finally, we find that the external pressure in the NGC 6334S cloud is important in confining these dense structures and may play a role in the formation of dense cores and, subsequently, the embedded young stars.

Autonomous Gaussian decomposition of the Galactic Ring Survey

The analysis of large molecular line surveys of the Galactic plane is essential for our understanding of the gas kinematics on Galactic scales and, in particular, its link with the formation and evolution of dense structures in the interstellar medium. An approximation of the emission peaks with Gaussian functions allows for an efficient and straightforward extraction of useful physical information contained in the shape and Doppler-shifted frequency of the emission lines contained in these enormous data sets. In this work, we present an overview and the first results of a Gaussian decomposition of the entire Galactic Ring Survey (GRS)13CO (1–0) data that consists of about 2.3 million spectra. We performed the decomposition with the fully automated GAUSSPY+ algorithm and fitted about 4.6 million Gaussian components to the GRS spectra. These decomposition results enable novel and unexplored ways to interpret and study the gas velocity structure. We discuss the statistics of the fit components and relations between the fitted intensities, velocity centroids, and velocity dispersions. We find that the magnitude of the velocity dispersion values increase towards the inner Galaxy and around the Galactic midplane, which we speculate is partly due to the influence of the Galactic bar and regions with higher non-thermal motions located in the midplane, respectively. We also used our decomposition results to infer global properties of the gas emission and find that the number of fit components used per spectrum is indicative of the amount of structure along the line of sight. We find that the emission lines from regions located on the far side of the Galaxy show increased velocity dispersion values, which are likely due to beam averaging effects. We demonstrate how this trend has the potential to aid in characterising Galactic structure by disentangling emission that belongs to the nearby Aquila Rift molecular cloud from emission that is more likely associated with the Perseus and Outer spiral arms. With this work, we also make our entire decomposition results available.

Nonthermal Motions in a Polar Coronal Hole Measured with Hinode/EIS during an on-Orbit Partial Solar Eclipse on 2017 August 21

Abstract We have performed a spectroscopic observation over the south polar coronal hole (PCH) with the Hinode Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) during an on-orbit partial solar eclipse. In this partial eclipse, the Moon passed through the EIS observing area that was set in the south PCH at the height of 0.9–1.4 solar radii. Using the lunar occultation, we have corrected for the scattered light contamination from bright regions of the Sun that is present in the dark PCH emission line profiles. The nonthermal width of the corrected emission line profile in the PCH increases from the limb toward the high-altitude corona. It has also been confirmed that the nonthermal width tends to decrease beyond ∼1.2 solar radii. These results are consistent with the model in which outward-propagating Alfvén waves start being dissipated at ∼1.2 solar radii, as previously reported. The reduced energy within ∼1.4 solar radii contributes to atmospheric heating and the initial acceleration for the solar wind in the low corona. The remaining energy flux at 1.4 solar radii may be dissipated in the distant corona and is sufficient to provide the additional acceleration required to drive the fast solar wind.

Dynamics of cluster-forming hub-filament systems: The case of the high-mass star-forming complex Monoceros R2.

High-mass stars and star clusters commonly form within hub-filament systems. Monoceros R2 (hereafter Mon R2), at a distance of 830 pc, harbors one of the closest such systems, making it an excellent target for case studies. We investigate the morphology, stability and dynamical properties of the Mon R2 hub-filament system. We employ observations of the 13CO and C18O 1→0 and 2→1 lines obtained with the IRAM-30m telescope. We also use H2 column density maps derived from Herschel dust emission observations. We identified the filamentary network in Mon R2 with the DisPerSE algorithm and characterized the individual filaments as either main (converging into the hub) or secondary (converging to a main filament) filaments. The main filaments have line masses of 30-100 M ⊙ pc-1 and show signs of fragmentation, while the secondary filaments have line masses of 12-60 M ⊙ pc-1 and show fragmentation only sporadically. In the context of Ostriker's hydrostatic filament model, the main filaments are thermally supercritical. If non-thermal motions are included, most of them are trans-critical. Most of the secondary filaments are roughly transcritical regardless of whether non-thermal motions are included or not. From the morphology and kinematics of the main filaments, we estimate a mass accretion rate of 10-4-10-3 M ⊙ yr-1 into the central hub. The secondary filaments accrete into the main filaments with a rate of 0.1-0.4×10-4 M ⊙ yr-1. The main filaments extend into the central hub. Their velocity gradients increase towards the hub, suggesting acceleration of the gas.We estimate that with the observed infall velocity, the mass-doubling time of the hub is ~ 2:5 Myr, ten times larger than the free-fall time, suggesting a dynamically old region. These timescales are comparable with the chemical age of the Hii region. Inside the hub, the main filaments show a ring- or a spiral-like morphology that exhibits rotation and infall motions. One possible explanation for the morphology is that gas is falling into the central cluster following a spiral-like pattern.

Filamentary Accretion Flows in the Infrared Dark Cloud G14.225–0.506 Revealed by ALMA

Abstract Filaments are ubiquitous structures in molecular clouds and play an important role in the mass assembly of stars. We present results of dynamical stability analyses for filaments in the infrared dark cloud G14.225−0.506, where a delayed onset of massive star formation was reported in the two hubs at the convergence of multiple filaments of parsec length. Full-synthesis imaging is performed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to map the emission in two hub-filament systems with a spatial resolution of ∼0.034 pc. Kinematics are derived from a sophisticated spectral fitting algorithm that accounts for line blending, large optical depth, and multiple velocity components. We identify five velocity coherent filaments and derive their velocity gradients with principal component analysis. The mass accretion rates along the filaments are up to and are significant enough to affect the hub dynamics within one freefall time (∼105 yr). The filaments are in equilibrium with virial parameter α vir ∼ 1.2. We compare α vir measured in the filaments, filaments, 870 μm dense clumps, and 3 mm dense cores. The decreasing trend in α vir with decreasing spatial scales persists, suggesting an increasingly important role of gravity at small scales. Meanwhile, α vir also decreases with decreasing nonthermal motions. In combination with the absence of high-mass protostars and massive cores, our results are consistent with the global hierarchical collapse scenario.

Thermal balance and comparison of gas and dust properties of dense clumps in the Hi-GAL survey

We present a comparative study of physical properties derived from gas and dust emission in a sample of 1068 dense Galactic clumps. The sources are selected from the crossmatch of the Hi-GAL survey with 16 catalogues of NH$_3$ line emission in its lowest inversion (1,1) and (2,2) transitions. The sample covers a large range in masses and bolometric luminosities, with surface densities above $\Sigma=0.1$ g cm$^{-2}$ and with low virial parameters $\alpha<1$. The comparison between dust and gas properties shows an overall agreement between $T_{\textit{kin}}$ and $T_{\textit{dust}}$ at volumetric densities $n\gtrsim1.2\times10^{4}$ cm$^{-3}$, and a median fractional abundance $\chi$(NH$_3$)$=1.46\times10^{-8}$. While the protostellar clumps in the sample have small differences between $T_{\textit{kin}}$ and $T_{\textit{dust}}$, prestellar clumps have a median ratio $T_{\textit{kin}}/T_{\textit{dust}}=1.24$, suggesting that these sources are thermally decoupled. A correlation is found between the evolutionary tracer $L/M$ and the parameters $T_{\textit{kin}}/T_{\textit{dust}}$ and $\chi$(NH$_3$) in prestellar sources and protostellar clumps with $L/M<1$ L$_\odot$ M$_\odot^{-1}$. In addition, a weak correlation is found between non-thermal velocity dispersion and the $L/M$ parameter, possibly indicating an increase of turbulence with protostellar evolution in the interior of clumps. Finally, different processes are discussed to explain the differences between gas and dust temperatures in prestellar candidates, and the origin of non-thermal motions observed in the clumps.

Observations of Turbulent Magnetic Reconnection within a Solar Current Sheet

Abstract Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental physical process in various astrophysical, space, and laboratory environments. Many pieces of evidence for magnetic reconnection have been uncovered. However, its specific processes that could be fragmented and turbulent have been short of direct observational evidence. Here, we present observations of a super-hot current sheet during the SOL2017-09-10T X8.2-class solar flare that display the fragmented and turbulent nature of magnetic reconnection. As bilateral plasmas converge toward the current sheet, significant plasma heating and nonthermal motions are detected therein. Two oppositely directed outflow jets are intermittently expelled out of the fragmenting current sheet, whose intensity shows a power-law distribution in the spatial frequency domain. The intensity and velocity of the sunward outflow jets also display a power-law distribution in the temporal frequency domain. The length-to-width ratio of current sheet is estimated to be larger than the theoretical threshold and thus ensures its occurrence. The observations therefore suggest that fragmented and turbulent magnetic reconnection occurs in the long stretching current sheet.

Gravity or turbulence? IV. Collapsing cores in out-of-virial disguise

We study the dynamical state of cores by using a simple analytical model, a sample of observational massive cores, and numerical simulations of collapsing massive cores. From the model, we find that, if cores are formed from turbulent compressions, they evolve from small to large column densities, increasing their velocity dispersion as they collapse, while they tend to equipartition between gravity and kinetic energy. From the observational sample, we find that: (a) cores with substantially different column densities in the sample do not follow a Larson-like linewidth-size relation. Instead, cores with higher column densities tend to be located in the upper-left corner of the Larson velocity dispersion-size diagram, a result predicted previously (Ballesteros-Paredes et al. 2011a). (b) The data exhibit cores with overvirial values. Finally, in the simulations we reproduce the behavior depicted by the model and observational sample: cores evolve towards larger velocity dispersions and smaller sizes as they collapse and increase their column density. However, collapsing cores appear to approach overvirial states within a free-fall time. The cause of this apparent excess of kinetic energy is an underestimation of the gravitational energy, due to the assumption that the gravitational energy is given by the energy of an isolated sphere of constant column density. This excess disappears when the gravitational energy is correctly calculated from the actual spatial mass distribution, where inhomogeneities, as well as the potential due to the mass outside of the core, also contribute to the gravitational energy. We conclude that the observed energy budget of cores in surveys is consistent with their non-thermal motions being driven by their self-gravity and in a hierarchical and chaotic collapse.

Testing the Larson relations in massive clumps

We tested the validity of the three Larson relations in a sample of 213 massive clumps selected from the Herschel Hi-GAL survey and combined with data from the MALT90 survey of 3mm emission lines. The clumps have been divided in 5 evolutionary stages to discuss the Larson relations also as function of evolution. We show that this ensemble does not follow the three Larson relations, regardless of clump evolutionary phase. A consequence of this breakdown is that the virial parameter $\alpha_{vir}$ dependence with mass (and radius) is only a function of the gravitational energy, independent of the kinetic energy of the system, and $\alpha_{vir}$ is not a good descriptor of clump dynamics. Our results suggest that clumps with clear signatures of infall motions are statistically indistinguishable from clumps with no such signatures. The observed non-thermal motions are not necessarily ascribed to turbulence acting to sustain the gravity, but they may be due to the gravitational collapse at the clump scales. This seems particularly true for the most massive (M$\geq$1000 M$_{\odot}$) clumps in the sample, where also exceptionally high magnetic fields may not be enough to stabilize the collapse.

Subsonic islands within a high-mass star-forming infrared dark cloud

High-mass star forming regions are typically thought to be dominated by supersonic motions. We present combined Very Large Array and Green Bank Telescope (VLA+GBT) observations of NH3 (1,1) and (2,2) in the infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G035.39-00.33, tracing cold and dense gas down to scales of 0.07 pc. We find that, in contrast to previous, similar studies of IRDCs, more than a third of the fitted ammonia spectra show subsonic non-thermal motions (mean line width of 0.71 km s−1), and sonic Mach number distribution peaks around ℳ = 1. As possible observational and instrumental biases would only broaden the line profiles, our results provide strong upper limits to the actual value of ℳ, further strengthening our findings of narrow line widths. This finding calls for a re-evaluation of the role of turbulent dissipation and subsonic regions in massive-star and cluster formation. Based on our findings in G035.39, we further speculate that the coarser spectral resolution used in the previous VLA NH3 studies may have inhibited the detection of subsonic turbulence in IRDCs. The reduced turbulent support suggests that dynamically important magnetic fields of the 1 mG order would be required to support against possible gravitational collapse. Our results offer valuable input into the theories and simulations that aim to recreate the initial conditions of high-mass star and cluster formation.

Filamentary Fragmentation and Accretion in High-mass Star-forming Molecular Clouds

Abstract Filamentary structures are ubiquitous in high-mass star-forming molecular clouds. Their relation with high-mass star formation is still to be understood. Here we report interferometric observations toward eight filamentary high-mass star-forming clouds. A total of 50 dense cores are identified in these clouds, most of which present signatures of high-mass star formation. Five of them are not associated with any star formation indicators and hence are prestellar core candidates. Evolutionary phases of these cores and their line widths, temperatures, abundances, and virial parameters are found to be correlated. In a subsample of four morphologically well-defined filaments, we find that their fragmentation cannot be solely explained by thermal or turbulence pressure support. We also investigate distributions of gas temperatures and nonthermal motions along the filaments and find a spatial correlation between nonthermal line widths and star formation activities. We find evidence of gas flows along these filaments and derive an accretion rate along filaments of ∼10−4 . These results suggest a strong relationship between massive filaments and high-mass star formation, through (i) filamentary fragmentation in very early evolutionary phases to form dense cores, (ii) accretion flows along filaments that are important for the growth of dense cores and protostars, and (iii) enhancement of nonthermal motion in the filaments by the feedback or accretion during star formation.