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Jeans collapse of turbulent gas clouds: tentative theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2006

S. Bonazzola
Affiliation:
Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, F-92195 Meudon Cedex, France
M. Pérault
Affiliation:
Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, F-75005 Paris, France Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, F-92195 Meudon Cedex, France
J. L. Puget
Affiliation:
Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, F-75005 Paris, France Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, F-92195 Meudon Cedex, France
J. Heyvaerts
Affiliation:
Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, F-92195 Meudon Cedex, France Université Paris 7, LAEC, France
E. Falgarone
Affiliation:
Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, F-75005 Paris, France Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, F-92195 Meudon Cedex, France
J. F. Panis
Affiliation:
Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, F-75005 Paris, France Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, F-92195 Meudon Cedex, France

Abstract

The linear Jeans stability problem in a turbulent medium is treated using a description of the large-scale motions, with the response of turbulence on the small scales being treated using a renormalization approach. This treatment shows how turbulence at scales smaller than the potentially collapsing scale builds up a turbulent pressure force which effectively resists compression, if the kinetic energy is sufficient to balance the gravitational attraction.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1992 Cambridge University Press

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