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Understanding the Interstellar Medium

The interstellar medium (ISM) is the gas and dust found between stars in a galaxy, primarily composed of hydrogen. It varies in density and temperature, forming clouds or nebulae, which can be classified as emission, reflection, or dark nebulae. Molecular clouds, particularly giant molecular clouds, are crucial for star formation, and the Jeans Criterion helps determine conditions for cloud collapse leading to star birth.

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rareb33783
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Topics covered

  • OB associations,
  • gas pressure vs gravitational …,
  • Jeans Mass,
  • critical size,
  • energy relations,
  • star formation,
  • energy states,
  • Jeans Radius,
  • collapse time-scale,
  • star formation groups
16 views21 pages

Understanding the Interstellar Medium

The interstellar medium (ISM) is the gas and dust found between stars in a galaxy, primarily composed of hydrogen. It varies in density and temperature, forming clouds or nebulae, which can be classified as emission, reflection, or dark nebulae. Molecular clouds, particularly giant molecular clouds, are crucial for star formation, and the Jeans Criterion helps determine conditions for cloud collapse leading to star birth.

Uploaded by

rareb33783
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Topics covered

  • OB associations,
  • gas pressure vs gravitational …,
  • Jeans Mass,
  • critical size,
  • energy relations,
  • star formation,
  • energy states,
  • Jeans Radius,
  • collapse time-scale,
  • star formation groups

UNIT 9

Interstellar medium

 Space between the stars within a galaxy is not empty.


 The interstellar medium (ISM) consists of gas and dust.
 Gas is mainly hydrogen, but also contains other elements
and molecules.
 Density is typically around 1 atom per cubic centimeter.
Clouds and nebula
 The interstellar medium is not uniform, but
varies by large factors in density and
temperature.
 The clumps in the interstellar medium are
clouds or nebulae (one nebula, two nebulae).
 Three types of nebulae:
 Emission nebulae
 Reflection nebulae
 Dark nebulae
Emission nebulae

Emission nebulae emit their own light because luminous


ultraviolet stars (spectral type O,B) ionize gas in the nebula. The
gas then emits light as the electrons return to lower energy levels.
In this image Red = Hydrogen, Green = Oxygen, Blue = Sulfur.
Reflection nebulae do
not emit their own light.
Dust scatters andReflection nebulae
reflects light from
nearby stars.
Dark nebula

Dark nebula are so opaque that the dust grains block any
starlight from the far side from getting through.
Reflection nebulae emit light as a
result of

1. Ultraviolet radiation from O and B stars


2. Nuclear fusion
3. Dust scattering light from stars
4. Ionized gas
Molecular clouds
 Dark nebula are usually molecular clouds
 Molecular clouds are relatively dense and
are very cold, often only 10 K.
 Giant molecular clouds can contain as much
as 104 solar masses (M) of gas and be 10
light years across.
 Molecular clouds are the primary sites for
star formation.
Eagle nebula
Eagle nebula
in infrared
Star birth can begin in giant molecular clouds

Carbon
monoxide
map
The Virial Theorem
 Applies to any system of particles with pair interactions for which
the distribution of particles does not vary with time.

 Theorem states that total energy of system E is related to


gravitational potential energy U by:
E = 1/2 U
 But we know that total energy is sum of the kinetic and potential
energy
2K + U = 0

3GM c2 3GM c2
U  2K  U 3NkT  0
5RC 5RC
K = 3/2 NkT and
Application
VT can be used to estimate conditions for cloud collapse:

If 2K > U, gas pressure (energy) will exceed


gravitational potential energy and expand.
2K
If 2K < U => gravitational energy will
exceed gas pressure and collapse. U

For  = Mc / (4/3Rc3) 1/ 3
3MC 
Rc  
4  
N = Mc/mH where  is the mean molecular weight and mH is
the mass of a proton.
The Jeans Mass 
3M c kT 3GM 3M c

2
c
 1/ 3

Substituting for R and N  
m H 5 4  
 5kT 3 / 2 3 1/ 2
M J    
Gm H  4  
 The Jeans Criterion is: Mc > MJ
 If Mc > MJ the cloud will collapse.
3/2 1/ 2 3 1/ 2
 5k   3  T 
M J      
Gm H  4    
1/ 2
 375k 3  3 1/ 2
T  2K

 3 3 3   
4  m H G    U

T 3 1/ 2
M J z 
 
The Jeans Radius
The critical radius that corresponds to the critical mass.
We know Mc = 4/3  Rc3 . Equating this to the Jeans
Mass gives:
1/ 2 1/ 2
4 3  375k 3  
T 3 
R   3 3 3   
3 4 m H G   
1/ 2 1/ 2
 15k  T 
RJ    

 4mH G  

If RC>RJ => stable. If RC <RJ => unstable and collapse.


Gravitational Collapse in the ISM
3/2 1/ 2
 5kT   3 
M J    
Gm H  4  
Diffuse HI Cloud H2 Cloud Core

T 50 K 150 K
 500 cm-3 108 cm-3
Mc 1-100 Msun 10-1000 Msun

We know from the Jeans Criterion that if Mc>MJ collapse


occurs.

So deep inside molecular clouds the cores are collapsing to


form stars.
Time-scale for collapse
The collapse time-scale tff when M >MJ is given by the time
a mass element at the cloud surface needs to reach the
centre. GM
g 2
R
In free-fall, an mass element is subject to acceleration. The
time to cover a distance R can therefore be estimated from:
2 GM 2
R 1/2gt 1/2 2 t ff
 R
ff

R3 ~ M/ => tff ≈ (G )-1/2


 Higher density at cloud center = > faster collapse.

 For typical molecular cloud, tff ~ 103 years (ie very short).
Critical size of gas cloud
If we have a cloud at T = 100 K and n = 1 cm-3, how large pieces
does it fragment into?

T3 1003
M J 18M  18M  18000 M 
n 1

Therefore, such clouds will typically form a group of stars rather


than a single star.

Stars are generally found in groups, called star clusters or OB


associations, depending on the type of stars.
Critical size of gas cloud
If we have a cloud at T = 30 K and n = 300 cm-3, how large pieces
does it fragment into?

T3 303
M J 18M  18M  170 M 
n 300
Critical size of gas cloud
The dense cores can reach n = 300,000 cm-3, how large pieces do
they fragment into?

T3 303
M J 18M  18M  5.4 M 
n 300,000

Therefore, the dense cores fragment into individual


stars.

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