A turbulent MHD model for molecular clouds and a new method of accretion on to star-forming cores

We describe the results of a sequence of simulations of gravitational colla pse in a turbulent magnetized region. The parameters are chosen to be repre sentative of molecular cloud material. We find that several protostellar co res and filamentary structures of higher than average density form. The fil aments inter connect the high-density cores. Furthermore, the magnetic fiel d strengths are found to correlate positively with the density, in agreemen t with recent observations. We make synthetic channel maps of the simulatio ns, and show that material accreting on to the cores is channelled along th e magnetized filamentary structures. This is compared with recent observati ons of S106, and shown to be consistent with these data. We postulate that this mechanism of accretion along filaments may provide a means for molecul ar cloud cores to grow to the point where they become gravitationally unsta ble and collapse to form stars.