Interstellar Medium

What is the Interstellar Medium?

 is the material which fills the space between the stars.
Many people imagine outer space to be a complete
vacuum, devoid of any material. Although the
interstellar regions are more devoid of matter than
any vacuum artificially created on earth, there is
matter in space. These regions have very low densities
and consist mainly of gas (99%) and dust. In total,
approximately 15% of the visible matter in the Milky
Way is composed of interstellar gas and dust.
 Interstellar Gas:
 Approximately 99% of the interstellar medium is
composed of interstellar gas, and of its mass, about
75% is in the form of hydrogen (either molecular or
atomic), with the remaining 25% as helium.

 consists partly of neutral atoms and molecules, as well as

charged particles, such as ions and electrons.
 Interstellar Gas:

 This gas is extremely dilute, with an average density of

about 1 atom per cubic centimeter. (For comparison,
the air we breathe has a density of approximately
30,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules per cubic
centimeter.)

 Even though the interstellar gas is very dilute, the

amount of matter adds up over the vast distances
between the stars.
 The interstellar gas is typically found in two forms:

1. Cold clouds of neutral atomic or molecular hydrogen.

 are the birthplace of new stars if they

become gravitationally unstable and
collapse. The neutral and molecular forms
emit radiation in the radio band of the 
electromagnetic spectrum.
 The interstellar gas is typically found in two forms:

2. Hot ionized hydrogen near hot young stars.

 is produced when large amounts of ultraviolet
radiation are released by hot newly-formed stars.
This radiation ionizes the surrounding clouds of gas.
Visible light is emitted when electrons recombine with
the ionized hydrogen, which is seen as beautiful red
colors of emission nebulae.

 Examples of emission nebulae are the Trifid Nebula

or the Orion Nebula
 Interstellar Dust

 is not like the dust that you might find under your bed;
it is made of very different substances. These dust
particles are extremely small, just a fraction of a
micron across, which happens to be approximately the 
wavelength of blue light waves. The particles are
irregularly shaped, and are composed of silicates,
carbon, ice, and/or iron compounds.
When light from other stars passes through the dust, a
few things can happen. If the dust is thick enough, the
light will be completely blocked, leading to dark areas.
These dark clouds are known as dark nebulae.

Example:

The horsehead nebula 

 Light passing through a dust cloud may not be
completely blocked, although all wavelengths of light
passing through will be dimmed somewhat. This
phenomenon is known as extinction. The extinction is
caused by the light being scattered off of the dust
particles out of our line of sight, preventing the light
from reaching us. The amount that the light is dimmed
depends upon a few factors, including the thickness
and density of the dust cloud, as well as the
wavelength (color) of the light.
 Because of the size of the dust particles, scattering
of blue light is favored. Therefore, less of the blue
light reaches us, which means that the light that
reaches us is more red than it would have been without
the interstellar dust. This effect is known
as interstellar reddening . This process is similar to
those that make the sun red at sunset. In turn, a dust
cloud that is illuminated by star light, when viewed
from the side, appears blue, as in the close-up of the
"Egg Nebula". This is similar to the blue sky we see,
which is produced by sunlight scattered by the Earth's
atmosphere.
 Aside from passing through, or being blocked from
passing through, interstellar dust, light may also be
reflected from the clouds of dust.  

 A reflection nebula is a region of dusty gas

surrounding a star where the dust reflects the
starlight, making it visible to us. 
Infrared
Radiation
An image of Earth in infrared wavelengths shows relative temperatures around the world. The photo includes a
plume of carbon monoxide pollution near the Rim Fire that burned near Yosemite National Park in California
on Aug. 26, 2013. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)
 What is Infrared?
 Infrared radiation (IR) or infrared light

 Is a type of radiant energy that’s invisible to human

eyes but that we can feel as heat.

 All objects in the universe emit some level of IR

radiation, but two of the most obvious sources are the
sun and fire.

 It is a type of electromagnetic radiation.

 Types of radiation

a. electromagnetic radiation includes gamma-rays,

X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, visible light.

b. infrared radiation: microwaves and radio

waves.

 These two radiation make up the electromagnetic

spectrum
William Herschel

 British astronomer, discovered infrared light in 1800,

according to NASA.

 In an experiment to measure the difference in

temperature between the colors in the visible
spectrum, he placed thermometers in the path of light
within each color of the visible spectrum. He observed
an increase in temperature from blue to red, and he
found an even warmer temperature measurement just
beyond the red end of the visible spectrum.
 Within the electromagnetic spectrum, infrared waves
occur at frequencies above those of microwaves, and just
below those of red visible light, “infrared”.

Waves of infrared radiation are longer than those of

visible light (Caltech). IR frequencies range from 300
GHz-400 THz and wavelengths estimated to range
between 1,000 micrometers and 760 nanometers.
 Similar to the visible light spectrum, which ranges
from violet (the shortest visible-light wavelength) to red
(longest wavelength).

The shorter “near-infrared” waves, which are closer to

visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum, don’t emit any
detectable heat and are what’s discharged from a TV remote
control to change the channels. The longer “far-infrared”
waves, which are closer to the microwave section on the
electromagnetic spectrum, can be felt as intense heat, such as
the heat from sunlight or fire, according to NASA.
 IR radiation is one of the three ways heat is
transferred from one place to another, the other two
being convection and conduction.

Temperature above 5 degrees Kelvin – emits IR radiation.

The sun gives off half of its total energy as IR, and much
of the star’s visible light is absorbed and re-emitted as
IR (Univ. of Tennessee).
 Household uses
Appliances such use IR radiation to transmit heat:
 heat lamps and toasters
 industrial heaters used for drying and curing
materials.
 Incandescent bulbs – convert only 10% of
electrical energy input into visible light energy,
the other 90% is converted to IR (EPA).
 Infrared sensing
One of the most useful applications of the IR is in
sensing and detection. All objects on Earth emit IR
in the form of heat.
Example of sensor is bolometer, consists of a
telescope with a temperature-sensitive resistor or
thermistor.
night vision camera is typically contain charge-
coupled device (CCD) imaging chips that are sensitive
to IR light.
 Infrared sensing
Infrared spectroscopy
 measures IR emissions from materials at
specific wavelengths.
 will show characteristic dips and peaks as
photons are absorbed or emitted by
electrons in molecules as the electrons
transition between orbits or energy levels.
 Can be used to identify substances and
monitor chemical reactions.
 Infrared sensing
According to Robert Mayanovic, professor of
physics at Missouri State University, infrared
spectroscopy, such as Fourier transform infrared
(FTIR) spectroscopy, is highly useful for
numerous scientific applications. These include
the study of molecular systems and 2D materials,
graphene.
 Infrared astronomy

 Is that its longer wavelength means it doesn’t scatter

as much as visible light (NASA). Whereas visible light
can be absorbed or reflected by gas and dust
particles, the longer IR waves simply go around these
small obstructions. Because of this property, IR can be
used to observe objects whose light is obscured by gas
and dust. Such objects include newly forming stars
imbedded in nebulas or the center of Earth’s galaxy.
Reference:
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