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4PCFs in the ISM
4PCFs in the ISM
The 4-Point Correlation Function as a Novel Probe of ISM MHD Turbulence
The 4-Point Correlation Function as a Novel Probe of ISM MHD Turbulence
This project was my first introduction to astrophysics research. In the Fall of 2022, I joined Prof. Zachary Slepian's cosmology research group at the University of Florida to investigate turbulence in the interstellar medium (ISM) using algorithms originally built for cosmology. In collaboration with him and his former student, James Sunseri, we applied the 4-Point Correlation Function (4PCF), a higher-order statistic from cosmology, as a tool to study magnetohydrodynamic simulations of turbulence in the ISM.
Objectives
Objectives
In the Interstellar Medium (ISM), gas and dust dynamically evolve under magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. This turbulence creates dense, non-linear structures that are potential star formation sites. The few known statistical properties of turbulence are derived from summary statistics such as the 2-Point Correlation Function (2PCF) or its Fourier-space analog the power spectrum, which are insufficient for probing turbulence's non-Gaussian and non-linear properties. We used the 4-Point Correlation Function (4PCF), a higher-order statistic that quantifies correlations between quadruplets of points as a function of tetrahedral geometry, enabling us to study the non-Gaussian information in the density field.
Results
Results
For the first time, we measured the 4PCF on 50+ simulations of the ISM with varying magnetic field strength and pressure and found significant information beyond the 2-point statistics. I learned how to use a novel code, SARABANDE, produced by the group and conducted the first-ever application of the 4-Point Correlation Function (4PCF) to ISM simulations. I ran 45,000+ CPU hours of simulations on high-performance computing (HPC) clusters both at UF and Princeton. To do this, I became proficient at coding in python, learned the fundamentals of HPC, and built a deep understanding of derivation involving Fourier Transforms, spherical harmonies, etc. Our preliminary findings indicate that the 4PCF contains significant information, offering a powerful new tool for studying turbulence and magnetic fields in the ISM. Ultimately this work will provide valuable insights into the physical processes that govern nature's most fundamental cycle- star formation.
For more details, consult our paper on ArXiv or the project website.
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