Density PDFs of Super-Sonic Turbulence

Abstract

The question of the shape of the density PDF for supersonic turbulence is addressed, using both analytical and numerical methods. For isothermal supersonic turbulence, the PDF is Log-Normal, with a width that scales approximately linearly with the Mach number. For a polytropic equation of state, with an effective gamma smaller than one, the PDF becomes skewed and reminiscent of (but not equal to) a power law on the high density side.

Interstellar Turbulence, Proceedings of the second Guillermo Haro Conference, held in Puebla, Mexico, Jan, 12-16, 1998, Eds.: Franco, J.; Carraminana, A., Cambridge University Press