Abstract
We investigate hydrodynamic instabilities at an ionization front in a radiatively driven molecular cloud, using two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations, including absorption of UV radiation from OB stars, recombination in HII gas, and radiative molecular cooling. We find a strong stabilization mechanism, if the initial perturbation is small, whereas column like structures can emerge, if the perturbation is large. Recombination plays a key role in the observed stabilization mechanism. When recombination is turned off in the simulations, the stabilization disappears, and the perturbation grows at a growth rate consistent with the classical Rayleigh–Taylor instability.
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Mizuta, A., Takabe, H., Kane, J.O. et al. Hydrodynamic Instability of Ionization Front in HII Regions: From Linear to Nonlinear Evolution. Astrophys Space Sci 298, 197–202 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-005-3932-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-005-3932-2