GMC Collisions as Triggers of Star Formation. II. 3D Turbulent,
  Magnetized Simulations
  We investigate giant molecular cloud (GMCs) collisions and their ability to
induce gravitational instability and thus star formation. This mechanism may be
a major driver of star formation activity in galactic disks. We carry out a
series of three dimensional, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), adaptive mesh
refinement (AMR) simulations to study how cloud collisions trigger formation of
dense filaments and clumps. Heating and cooling functions are implemented based
on photo-dissociation region (PDR) models that span the atomic to molecular
transition and can return detailed diagnostic information. The clouds are
initialized with supersonic turbulence and a range of magnetic field strengths
and orientations. Collisions at various velocities and impact parameters are
investigated. Comparing and contrasting colliding and non-colliding cases, we
characterize morphologies of dense gas, magnetic field structure, cloud
kinematic signatures, and cloud dynamics. We present key observational
diagnostics of cloud collisions, especially: relative orientations between
magnetic fields and density structures, like filaments; $^{13}$CO($J$=2-1),
$^{13}$CO($J$=3-2), and $^{12}$CO($J$=8-7) integrated intensity maps and
spectra; and cloud virial parameters. We compare these results to observed
Galactic clouds.
