What Shapes the Structure of Molecular Clouds: Turbulence or Gravity?

Alexei G. Kritsuk, Michael L. Norman

Published 2011-11-11, updated 2012-02-16Version 2

We revisit the origin of Larson's scaling relations, which describe the structure and kinematics of molecular clouds, based on recent observations and large-scale simulations of supersonic turbulence. Using dimensional analysis, we first show that both linewidth-size and mass-size correlations observed on scales 0.1-50 pc can be explained by a simple conceptual theory of compressible turbulence without resorting to the often assumed virial equilibrium or detailed energy balance condition. The scaling laws can be consistently interpreted as a signature of supersonic turbulence with no need to invoke gravity. We then show how self-similarity of structure established by the turbulence breaks in star-forming clouds through development of gravitational instabilities in the vicinity of the sonic scale, l_s~0.1 pc, leading to the formation of prestellar cores.