The role of magnetic field in molecular cloud formation and evolution

Understand

We review the role that magnetic field may have on the formation and evolution of molecular clouds.

• After a brief presentation and main assumptions leading to ideal MHD equations, their most important correction, namely the ion-neutral drift is described.
• The nature of the multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM) and the thermal processes that allows this gas to become denser are presented.
• Then we discuss our current knowledge of compressible magnetized turbulence, thought to play a fundamental role in the ISM.