Magnetomechanical supersonic waves in dark molecular clouds

Abstract

We propose and investigate the magnetoelastodynamic mechanism of the wave motions of poorly ionized superparamagnetic gas-dust interstellar medium capable of sustaining long-ranged magnetization. It is suggested that the molecular linewidths inferred from recent Zeeman measurements of the magnetic field toward the core position in dark interstellar molecular clouds may be due to transverse magnetomechanical waves traveling with supersonic, but sub-Alfvénic, speed.