Chapter 11

The Interstellar Medium

Group 24

Gas and Dust

Interstellar medium is made up of 2 componentsgas and dust The gas is made up mainly of individual atoms and small molecules The dust consists of clumps of atoms and molecules (like the ones that make up smoke or soot)

Gas and Dust II

Interstellar matter obscures the light from stars beyond
Obscuration is caused by dust

Light can be obscured (absorbed or scattered) only by particles having diameters comparable to or larger than the wavelength of radiation involved.
Obscuration produced by particles of a given size increases with decreasing wavelength

Gas and Dust III

The typical diameter of an interstellar dust particle, or dust grain, is about 10-7 m, comparable in size to the wavelength of visible light
The effect is that dusty regions of interstellar space are transparent to long-wavelength radio and infrared radiation but opaque to shorter-wavelength optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray radiation Because of this, light from distant stars is robbed of its higherfrequency (blue) components. So in addition to being generally diminished in overall brightness, stars also appear redder than they really are (reddening)

Density and Composition of the Interstellar Medium

Gas and dust are found everywhere in interstellar space No part of the galaxy is truly devoid of matter, although the density of the interstellar medium is extremely low
The gas averages roughly 106 atoms per cubic meterjust one atom per cubic centimeter Interstellar dust is even rarerabout one dust particle for every trillion or so atoms

Space in the vicinity of the Sun contains about as much mass in the form of interstellar gas and dust as exists there in the form of stars Interstellar matter is distributed very unevenly

Density and Composition of the Interstellar Medium II

The composition of interstellar gas is reasonably well known from spectroscopic studies of interstellar absorption lines
It mirrors the composition of the other astronomical objects, such as the Sun, the stars, and the jovian planets Most of the gasabout 90%--is atomic or molecular hydrogen, 9% is helium, and the remaining 1% consists of heavier elements The gas is deficient in some heavy elements, such as carbon, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and iron, most likely because these elements have gone to form the interstellar dust

Density and Composition of the Interstellar Medium III

The composition of the dust is not well known, although there is some infrared evidence for silicates, carbon, and iron, supporting the theory that interstellar dust forms out of interstellar gas
The dust probably also contains some dirty ice, a frozen mixture of water ice contaminated with trace amounts of ammonia, methane, and other compounds, much like cometary nuclei in our own solar system

Important Definitions #1
Interstellar medium - the matter between the stars Dust grain - an interstellar dust particle

Milky Way Mosaic

Fig 11.3 shows mosaic of Milky Way Galaxy from horizon to horizon Dust causes the patchy obscuration of background stars
Infrared observations indicate dust composed of silicates, carbon, and iron

Emission Nebulae
Charles Messier, 18th century French astronomer saw sky much like Fig 11.4

He observed several fuzzy patches of light that he couldnt classify as stars, planets, comets, or asteroids

Emission Nebulae
These are now known as Emission Nebulae, as seen in Fig 11.5 and 11.6

Nebulae large enough to measure size with simple geometry

Emission Nebulae
UV radiation from a forming O- or B-type star ionizes surrounding nebular gases As hydrogen electrons recombine with nuclei, they emit red colored visible radiation Nebular gas spectrum indicates composition similar to our sun, stars, and other ISM Spectral line widths imply that gas atoms and ions have temperature around 8000K Size information coupled with estimates of matter in our line of sight (as revealed by nebulaes total light emission) ascertain nebular density - @ 10^8 particles per cubic meter

Emission Nebulae
Through examination of interaction between dust and nebular gas, we see that dust lanes are part of the nebulae and not just dust in our line-of-sight

Important Definitions #2
Reddening - the way a star appears redder than it truly is Emission nebulae - glowing clouds of hot intersteallar matter

Dark Dust Clouds

More than 99% of space is free from emission nebulae and stars Dark dust clouds are typically bigger than our solar system Made primarily of dust (causes the absorption of starlight)

21-Centimeter Radiation
Much gas in interstellar space consists of atomic hydrogen Astronomers observe interstellar regions by using the process known as the 21-centimeter line This form of observation does not require light, only enough hydrogen to produce a detectable signal Wavelength of 21centimeter radiation is much larger than the typical size of interstellar dust particles

Molecular Gas
Forms molecular clouds
Only long wavelength radio radiation can escape from these parts of interstellar space

Astronomers use radio observations of other "tracer" molecules to study these regions Molecular clouds do not exist as distinct and separate objects in space
Molecules are found only in the densest and darkest of interstellar clouds

Can not use 21-cm observations

Important Definitions #3
Dark dust clouds - huge clouds made primarily of gas that absorb starlight and are cooler than their surroundings Molecular clouds - gas particles (molecules) that are in the dense interstellar regions

Molecular cloud complexes - made up of molecular hydrogen and large enough to make millions of stars like our sun

Review Questions
What is interstellar medium? the matter between the stars What are dark dust clouds? huge clouds made primarily of gas that absorb starlight and are cooler than their surroundings What are molecular clouds? gas particles (molecules) that are in the dense interstellar regions
What are emission nebulae? glowing clouds of hot intersteallar matter