Quantitative insight into interstellar turbulence

这是Lazarian博士关于湍流恒星形成云中磁场扩散对恒星形成过程影响的理论工作的延续。螺旋星系的外观、演化和整体特性受到其星际介质（ISM）的强烈影响。反过来，ISM的性质和其中的许多过程，如恒星形成，都是由搅动ISM的磁湍流决定的。仅用数值方法不能自信地理解湍流的性质；计算机模拟的流体运动与天体物理学的运动在雷诺数上存在巨大差异。本文主要研究了磁重联在恒星形成过程中的作用，并探讨了ISM不同阶段湍流的来源和影响。虽然湍流是混沌的，但它可以通过应用定义良好的统计定律来解决天体物理问题来描述和理解。这项工作改进了理论与观测的比较。这些研究使用了已经经过良好测试的数字代码。首席研究员和他的团队将继续开发、测试和应用新的工具，从观测中提取湍流的特性（如湍流光谱和湍流的音速马赫数）。这项研究的统计工具是公开的，并为观测界研究湍流，其驱动和磁化提供了新的工具。一个研究生将参与这个项目。该项目还为本科生提供研究经验。

This is a continuation of Dr. Lazarian's theoretical work on the influence of magnetic field diffusion in turbulent star-forming clouds on the star formation process. The appearance, evolution, and overall properties of a spiral galaxy are strongly influenced by its interstellar medium (ISM). In turn, the nature of the ISM and many processes within it, such as star formation, are determined by the magnetic turbulence that stirs the ISM. Properties of turbulent fluids cannot be confidently understood using only numerical approaches; and the fluid motions simulated by computers differ from astrophysical ones by a huge difference in Reynolds numbers.The present work focuses on the role that magnetic reconnection plays in star formation, and investigates the sources and effects of turbulence in different phases of the ISM. Although turbulence is chaotic, it can be described and understood by applying well defined statistical laws to solve astrophysical problems.The work improves the comparison of theory with observations. The studies employ well-tested numerical codes already in place. The principal investigator and his team will continue to develop, test, and apply new tools for extracting properties of turbulence (such as turbulence spectra and sonic Mach number of turbulence) from observations.The statistical tools from this study are made publicly available and provide new tools to the observational community to study turbulence, its driving, and its magnetization. A graduate student will work on this project. This project also offers Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) students.