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THz Observations of the Cool Neutral Medium
Citation
Dickey, JM, THz Observations of the Cool Neutral Medium, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 20-24 August 2012, Bejing, China, pp. 135-138. ISSN 1743-9213 (2012) [Non Refereed Conference Paper]
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DOI: doi:10.1017/S174392131201678X
Abstract
The astrophysical drivers for far-infrared spectroscopy of the Galactic interstellar medium using a 15m class telescope on Dome A are compelling. For the diffuse, atomic phase, the most important lines in the far-IR spectrum are OI at 63ìm and CII at 158ìm. These are the dominant cooling lines of the cool, neutral medium, and they show rich spectral structure in Herschel observations at low latitudes. But theory predicts that they should both be highly sub-thermal in excitation, so that the level populations are not in equilibrium with the kinetic temperature of the gas. A large single dish telescope or an interferometer may be able to study the absorption and emission to determine the optical depth and column density of atoms and the physical conditions in the emission regions. Comparison of Herschel CII spectra with 21-cm absorption spectra indicates that a significant fraction of the 158ìm flux may be coming from the atomic rather than the molecular phase.
Item Details
Item Type: | Non Refereed Conference Paper |
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Keywords: | line: profiles; ISM: clouds; ISM: atoms; ISM: structure; Galaxy: disk; infrared: ISM |
Research Division: | Physical Sciences |
Research Group: | Astronomical sciences |
Research Field: | Galactic astronomy |
Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in the physical sciences |
UTAS Author: | Dickey, JM (Professor John Dickey) |
ID Code: | 85113 |
Year Published: | 2012 |
Deposited By: | Mathematics and Physics |
Deposited On: | 2013-06-14 |
Last Modified: | 2013-06-27 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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