Molecular Cloud Formation in Shock-Compressed Layers

Abstract

We investigate the propagation of a shock wave into a warm neutral medium and cold neutral medium by one-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations with detailed treatment of thermal and chemical processes. Our main result shows that thermal instability inside the shock-compressed layer produces a geometrically thin, dense layer in which a large amount of hydrogen molecules is formed. Linear stability analysis suggests that this thermally-collapsed layer will fragment into small molecular cloudlets. We expect that frequent compression due to supernova explosions, stellar winds, spiral density waves, etc., in the galaxy make the interstellar medium occupied by these small molecular cloudlets.