Topic: Interstellar Medium

ZAHID UR REHMAN
Instructor
M.Phil Space Science, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed Science Education
Class - 2
Recall your Memory:
Interstellar/bodies & Interstellar Medium
Examples of IS bodies
Composition of interstellar bodies
Properties
Presence & formation
Is there light in interstellar space?
Cooling of interstellar matter
Heating of IS medium
Thermal equilibrium in IS medium/gas
ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed
07/03/2023 2
Science Education
 Topic:

A brief Introduction to
IS medium
ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed
07/03/2023 3
Science Education
 IS medium
• “ISM is the material found between the stars”
• Includes neutral HI clouds, molecular clouds, ionized material, reflection &
emission nebula, cosmic rays, e.m radiations, electric & magnetic fields.
• Nebula
Nebulae are essentially clouds of gas and dust that make up higher
density regions of the interstellar medium. Most nebulae are incredibly
large in size and can be up to hundreds of light-years in diameter.

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 4
Science Education
  HI Clouds
Portions of the ISM composed mainly of neutral hydrogen are
therefore called "HI clouds." These clouds are cold (T = 50 -
100 K), and mildly dense (1 to 1000 atoms/cm^3). While they
are numerous and can found throughout the disk of the galaxy,
individual clouds are relatively small, extending only over a
few parsecs (a unit of distance used in astronomy, equal to about 3.26
light years (3.086 × 1013 kilometers).

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 5
Science Education
Molecular clouds
Molecular clouds are very dense by ISM standards, and very cold: only about 10º above absolute zero. The most common
component of these clouds is molecular hydrogen (H2).
 Ionized material
Ionization is a cascade reaction involving electrons in a region with a sufficiently high electric field in a gaseous medium that
can be ionized, such as air.
Reflection nebula
A reflection nebula is that which does not emit radiation of its own. It is a cloud of dust and gas that reflects the light energy
from a nearby star or group of stars. They usually tend to be blue in color because of the way that the light is scattered.
Emission nebula
An emission nebula is a nebula formed of ionized gases that emit light of various wavelengths.
Cosmic rays
Cosmic rays are high-energy particles or clusters of particles that move through space at nearly the speed of light. They
originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our own galaxy, and from distant galaxies.

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 6
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 E.M-radiations
In physics, electromagnetic radiation consists of waves of the electromagnetic field, which
propagate through space and carry momentum and electromagnetic radiant energy.
Electric fields
An electric field is the physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles and exerts
force on all other charged particles in the field, either attracting or repelling them. It also refers
to the physical field for a system of charged particles.
Magnetic fields
Magnetic field, a vector field in the neighborhood of a magnet, electric current, or changing
electric field, in which magnetic forces are observable.

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 7
Science Education
 Classification of ISM
ISM Matter Neutral Atomic gases like HI
Molecular gases like
H2, CO, SiO
Solids like dust
particles & silicates
Liquids( gasses under
high pressure,
compressed)

Ionized Photon ionized

Collisionally ionized
Fields Cosmic Rays
Magnetic fields
Electric fields
E.M radiations

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 8
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 Anatomy of Milky Way

Globular
Cluster

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 Sun
07/03/2023
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 Rosetta Nebula

Rosetta Nebula
 The Rosette Nebula is an H II region located near one
end of a giant molecular cloud in the
Monoceros (Greek word for unicorn)
region of the Milky Way Galaxy.
 The Rosette Nebula was named after the stylized flower
design used in sculptural objects since antiquity (ancient times).
The nebula's appearance in optical light resembles the rosette.

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 11
Science Education
 Simeis147 Supernova Remnant
Simeis 147, also known as the Spaghetti Nebula (SNR) is a supernova remnant in the Milky Way,
straddling the border between the constellations Auriga and Taurus.

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 12
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 Planetary Nebula M57
M57, or the Ring Nebula, is a planetary nebula, the glowing remains
of a sun-like star. The tiny white dot in the center of the nebula is the
star's hot core, called a white dwarf.

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 13
Science Education
 The Orion Nebula M42
• The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42) is a diffuse
nebula with a greenish hue and is situated below Orion's Belt. It is one
of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night
sky.

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 14
Science Education
 Milky Way at Gamma Ray wavelength
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory:
The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was a space
observatory technique/system, detecting photons with energies from
20 keV to 30 GeV, in Earth orbit from 1991 to 2000.

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 15
Science Education
 Milky Way at different wavelengths
Milky way at X-ray wavelength (ROSAT image) [page 7
Milky way at ultraviolet (UV) wavelength (IUE Satellite image) [page 7
Milky way at optical wavelength (Axel Mellinger image) [page 8
Milky way at near infrared (NIR) wavelength (2MASS) [page 8
Milky way at far infrared (FIR) wavelength (IRAS image) [page 9
Sky at 2.7 K (WMAP image) [page 9

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 16
Science Education
 Tell about your previous home work
 Tell something about you, that you did new or special today.
 Give feed back
 Confirm lesson

ZAHID UR REHMAN, M.Phil Space Sciencs, M.Sc Physics, B.Ed

07/03/2023 17
Science Education