Abstract
USING the Nagoya telescope1, Uchida et al.2 found an unusual helical filamentary structure, spinning about its long axis, in the L1641 cloud in the Orion cloud complex. Noting that this structure is consistent with a helically twisted magnetic field inferred from optical polarization observations3,4, they argued that the helical filament is a manifestation of torsional magnetohydrodynamic (Alfvén) waves draining angular momentum from a nearby massive cloud, thus promoting collapse and star formation. Here we present an alternative interpretation. We suggest that the Orion molecular cloud complex formed through the Parker instability5 (the buoyancy of a magnetic field entrained in matter), and that the helical filament is the result of spinning gas falling along the magnetic field and twisting it. The twisted magnetic field, unlike a purely planar field, suppresses the Parker instability on small scales, allowing the generation of finite clouds rather than general turbulence.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fukui, Y., Iwata, T., Mizuno, A., Bally, J. & Lane, A. in Protostars and Planets III (University of Arizona Press, in the press).
Uchida, Y. et al. Nature 349, 140–142 (1991).
Heiles, C. in Interstellar Processes (eds Hollenbach, D. J. & Thronson, H. A.) 171–194 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1987).
Vrba, F., Strom, S. E. & Strom, K. Astr. J. 96, 680–694 (1988).
Parker, E. N. Astrophys. J. 145, 811–833 (1966).
Shu, F. H. Astr. Astrophys. 33, 55–72 (1974).
Elmegreen, B. G. Astrophys. J. 253, 634–654 (1982).
Nakamura, H., Hanawa, T. & Nakano, T. Publs. Astr. Soc. Japan (in the press).
Mouschovias, T. Ch., Shu, F. H. & Woodward, P. R. Astr. Astrophys. 33, 73–77 (1974).
Blitz, L. & Shu, F. H. Astrophys. J. 238, 148–157 (1980).
Asseo, E., Cesarsky, C. J., Lacheze-Rey, M. & Pellat, R. Astrophys. J. 225, L21–L25 (1978).
Parker, E. N. Cosmical Magnetic Fields, 532–611 (Clarendon, Oxford, 1979).
Matsumoto, R., Horiuchi, T., Shibata, K. & Hanawa, T. Publs. Astr. Soc. Japan 40, 171–195 (1988).
Matsumoto, R., Horiuchi, T., Hanawa, T. & Shibata, K. Astrophys. J. 356, 259–271 (1990).
Shibata, K. et al. Astrophys. J. 338, 471–492 (1989).
Fujimoto, M. in IAU Symp. No. 29 (ed. Arakeljan, M.) 453–463 (Izdatel'stvo Akademii Nauk Armyanski SSR, 1968).
Maddalena, R. J., Morris, M., Moscowitz, J. & Thaddeus, P. Astrophys. J. 303, 375–391 (1986).
Appenzellar, I. Astr. Astrophys. 36, 99–105 (1974).
Shibata, K. & Uchida, Y. Publs. Astr. Soc. Japan 37, 31–46 (1985).
Bally, J., Langer, W. D., Stark, A. A. & Wilson, R. W. Astrophys. J. 312, L45–L49 (1987).
Goldsmith, P. F. & Arquilla, R. in Protostars and Planets II (eds Black, D. C. & Matthews, M. S.) 137–149 (University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1985).
Beck, R., Loiseau, N., Hummel, E., Berkhuijsen, E. M. & Wielebinski, R. Astr. Astrophys. 222, 58–68 (1989).
Bajaja, E., Berkhuijsen, E. M. & Beck, R. in IAU Symp. No. 140 (eds Beck, R. et al.) 203–204 (Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1990).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shibata, K., Matsumoto, R. Formation of giant molecular clouds and helical magnetic fields by the Parker instability. Nature 353, 633–635 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/353633a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/353633a0
This article is cited by
-
Instability dynamics in gyrogravitating astroclouds with cosmic ray moderation in non-ideal MHD fabric
Pramana (2021)
-
On Magnetic Inhibition Theory in Non-resistive Magnetohydrodynamic Fluids
Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis (2019)
-
Magnetic fields in spiral galaxies
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review (2016)
-
Filamentary structure of the ISM at high latitudes
Astrophysics and Space Science (1993)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.