Abstract
This introductory chapter provides a general introduction to the interstellar medium, its main constituents, and a historical overview of the interstellar research. The chapter ends with a discussion of Oort’s limit of the interstellar medium.
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Bibliography
Bowers, R.L., Deeming, T.: Astrophysics II. Jones & Bartlett, Boston (1984). Basic text on astrophysics, with detailed discussion on the principal aspects of neutral and ionized interstellar regions
Dyson, J., Williams, D.A.: The Physics of the Interstellar Medium. Institute of Physics Publishing, London (1997). Introductory text, quite accessible, covering the main physical processes of the interstellar medium
Kaplan, S.A., Pikelner, S.B.: The Interstellar Medium. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1970). Basic text, written by two Russian specialists, highlighting hydrogen ionization processes in the interstellar space
Lang, K.R., Gingerich, O. (eds.): A Source Book in Astronomy and Astrophysics 1900–1975. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1979). Compilation of a series of classical articles published between 1900 and 1975, with the inclusion of some fundamental works on astrophysics of the interstellar medium. See also Shapley H. & Howarth H.E. (eds.). Source Book in Astronomy 1900-1950. Cambridge, Harvard University Press
Middlehurst, B.M., Aller, L.H. (eds.): Nebulae and Interstellar Matter. University of Chicago Press, Chicago (1968). Series of classical review articles about several aspects of astrophysics of the interstellar medium
Oort, J.H.: Stellar dynamics. In: Blaauw, A., Schmidt, M. (eds.) Galactic Structure, p. 455. University of Chicago Press, Chicago (1965). Article by Jan Oort, one of the principal astrophysicists of the 20th century, about density determination of the interstellar matter
Osterbrock, D.: Astrophysics of Gaseous Nebulae and Active Galactic Nuclei. University Science Books, Mill Valley (1989). Fundamental book to the study of photoionized gaseous nebulae, including a detailed study of the physical processes taking place in H II regions and planetary nebulae
Pikelner, S.B.: Physics of Interstellar Space. Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow (1961). Outreach introductory book written by one to the leading Russian astrophysicists showing in a simple way hydrogen ionization processes in the interstellar space
Scheffler, H., Elsässer, H.: Physics of the Galaxy and Interstellar Matter. Springer, Berlin (1988). Advanced level text covering a wide range of issues, more recent than the classical book by Spitzer, presenting a discussion on interstellar phenomena in a galactic context
Spitzer, L.: Physical Processes in the Interstellar Medium. Wiley, New York (1978). Classical text about the principal physical processes occurring in the interstellar medium and a must read for the study of these processes. The present book may be considered as an introduction to the more accurate treatment presented by Spitzer
Spitzer, L.: Searching Between the Stars. Yale University Press, New Haven (1982). Personal and accessible account of the main progress achieved in the study of the interstellar medium from ultraviolet observations, by one of the leading specialists
Strömgren, B.: The physical state of interstellar hydrogen. Astrophys J 89, 526 (1939). Classical article by Strömgren on hydrogen ionization in H II regions
Struve, O., Zebergs, V.: Astronomy of the 20th Century. MacMillan, New York (1962). An account of astronomy history in the 20th century, focussing particularly on the development of studies concerning the interstellar medium
Verschuur, G.L.: Interstellar Matters: Essays on Curiosity and Astronomical Discovery. Springer, New York (1989). History of the interstellar matter discovery, highlighting radio astronomical data
Wynn-Williams, G.: The Fullness of Space. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1992). Recent introductory book focussing on the principal physical aspects of the interstellar medium with a qualitative treatment
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Exercises
Exercises
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1.1
Consider an interstellar cloud composed of atomic hydrogen, with a density of 10 particles per cubic centimeter and kinetic temperature of 100 K. (a) What is the cloud density in g cm−3? (b) Estimate the pressure inside the cloud. Compare the result with the pressure of a typical laboratory vacuum.
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1.2
Suppose that an interstellar cloud with a density of 10 particles per cubic centimeter and temperature of 100 K is in pressure equilibrium with the intercloud medium, where the density is 0.1 particles per cubic centimeter, according to Table 1.1. What would be, in order of magnitude, the temperature of the intercloud medium?
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1.3
A spherical solid dust grain in an interstellar cloud has a radius of a ≃1,000 Å = 10−5 cm and an internal density of s d ≃ 3 g cm−3. (a) What is the grain mass? (b) Consider a typical interstellar cloud where the concentration of the dust grains is n d ~ 10−11 cm−3. What would be the volume of the cloud occupied by a person with 70 kg, if the whole body was pulverized into interstellar grains and spread across the cloud?
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1.4
By means of a theoretical treatment of the oscillatory motions perpendicular to the galactic plane, F. House and D. Kilkenny (Astronomy & Astrophysics vol. 81, p. 251, 1980) have derived an analytical expression for gravitational acceleration g z , valid for |z| ≤ 1 kpc:
$$ {g_z}={A_0}\sin \left( {\frac{2z }{R}+{B_0}} \right)+{C_0}\exp (-\alpha z) $$where A 0, B 0, and C 0 are constants, R is the distance to the galactic axis, and α = 1/h, h being the effective thickness of the layer of gas and stars above the galactic plane. The constants have been determined by radial velocity measurements of OB stars in the solar neighborhood, being A 0 = 9.6 × 10−9 cm s−2, B 0 = 5 rad, and C 0 = 9.0 × 10−9 cm s−2. Assume a mean value 2 h ≃ 800 pc and R ≃ 8.5 kpc and calculate the total mass density in the galactic plane for the solar neighborhood. Compare the result with the value obtained by Oort, based on the analysis of K giants.
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1.5
Determinations of mass density distribution in the form of stars in the solar neighborhood yield the following values: 0.038 M ⊙/pc3 for dwarf stars of spectral type G, K, and M; 0.02 M ⊙/pc3 for white dwarfs; and 0.006 M ⊙/pc3 for the rest. What is the total mass in the form of stars, in M ⊙/pc3 and g cm−3? Compare the result with the Oort limit.
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Maciel, W.J. (2013). General Overview of the Interstellar Medium. In: Astrophysics of the Interstellar Medium. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3767-3_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3767-3_1
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