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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 Type:	Non Refereed Conference Paper
Keywords:	line: profiles; ISM: clouds; ISM: atoms; ISM: structure; Galaxy: disk; infrared: ISM
Research Division:	Physical Sciences
Research Group:	Astronomical and Space Sciences
Research Field:	Galactic Astronomy
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding Knowledge in the Physical Sciences
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
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