Density fluctuations in the interstellar medium: Evidence for anisotropic magnetogasdynamic turbulence. I - Model and astrophysical sites

Abstract

A model of anisotropic magnetogasdynamic turbulence is developed in order to investigate quantitatively a turbulent fluid origin for the small spatial scale density fluctuations observed in 1981 by Armstrong, Cordes, and Rickett in the interstellar medium. The anisotropy at these small spatial scales results from the presence of a large-scale approximately uniform magnetic field that is a sum of the steady-state galactic magnetic field and the large-scale turbulent magnetic field fluctuations. The observed density fluctuations are interpreted to be two-dimensional isobaric entropy variations with oppositely directed gradients in temperature and density projected transverse to the local approximately uniform magnetic field. Three possible sites - cloud shell H II regions, diffuse H II regions produced by O stars, and the tenuous intercloud medium - are investigated as possible locations for turbulent flows.