Introduction to the study of the physics of the interstellar medium
Preface What is the interstellar medium? The term "interstellar medium" (ISM) refers to the material between stars in galaxies, and around galaxies. On a larger scale, the " intergalactic medium" (IGM)...
View ArticleA census of systems in the Interstellar Medium
What is the ISM What is the ISM made of: a census of physical systems in the interstellar space. We will study the physical composition of the ISM and their interaction with stars. The interstellar...
View ArticleA census of systems in the Interstellar Medium, part 2
A census of systems in the ISM We continue our survey of objects in the interstellar medium. We will review the most important observational properties of the following systems. Reflection Nebulae....
View ArticleMatter components of the ISM
Five components of the gaseous ISM In this lecture we will discuss the thermal phases of the gas in the ISM. Classification according to temperature and ionization state. We can identify four main...
View ArticleEquilibrium configurations the ISM
Introduction Topic of this lecture: equilibrium configuration in the ISM systems. Thermodynamical properties of the ISM: temperature, pressure, density, energy content. Important concept: thermal...
View ArticleEnergy balance in the ISM
Magnetic fields in the Orion Molecular Cloud Introduction In the last lecture we have discuss the different physical contributions to the pressure in the ISM. We express those pressures in terms of the...
View ArticlePhysics of HI clouds
Introduction The dominant component in the ISM is hydrogen. Atomic hydrogen (HI) it emits radiation at the radio frequency of 1420 MHz. Transition between the two hyperfine states of the ground state....
View ArticleMolecular clouds
History of observations of dark clouds "Here is truly a hole in the heavens!" (W. Herschel) Historical debate: truly voids (as theorized by Herschel) or dark regions observed projected upon a dense...
View ArticleProperties of the interstellar dust
First evidence for dust extinction Trumpler (1930) demonstrated the existence of interstellar absorption by comparing luminosity distances and angular diameter distances of a sample of open clusters....
View ArticleIonized systems in the ISM: Warm ionized medium and …
The diffuse "warm ionized medium" The diffuse "warm ionized medium" (WIM): about 90% of ionized hydrogen (HII), in a warm and diffuse phase. Visible trough its H- emission in our Galaxy. Kinetic...
View ArticleIntroduction to the study of the intracluster medium
Introduction: the ICM The space among galaxies is not as empty. Astrophysical evidences of the Intracluster Medium (ICM) and the Intergalactic Medium (IGM). ICM: Intense X-ray diffuse emission....
View ArticleThe intergalactic medium - part second
IGM absorption lines Ionized medium up to z=5 Considering that is a delta function Upper limit from observation in quasars spectra up to : . By inverting the above formula, we find the number density...
View ArticleStellar formation in the Orion Nebula
The ISM systems in Orion The Giant Molecular Cloud in Orion. The whole system includes: emission nebulae M42 and M43, dark nebula Horsehead, reflection nebula NGC 1977, the Trapezium Star Cluster, The...
View ArticleThe intergalactic medium - first part
Evidence for the IGM The space between field galaxies is also not empty. Observational evidence: observations of Lyman-alpha absorption line systems in the spectra of distant quasars. Formation of...
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