Star formation and the initial mass function

Supersonic turbulence fragments the interstellar medium into dense sheets, filaments, cores and large low-density voids, thanks to a complex network of highly radiative shocks. The turbulence is driven on large scales, predominantly by supernovae. While on scales of the order of the galactic disk thickness the magnetic energy is in approximate equipartition with the kinetic energy of the turbulence, on scales of a few pc the turbulent kinetic energy significantly exceeds the magnetic energy.