IPM

“ Schools ”

“ Centers and Units ”

“ Research Groups ”

“ Useful Links ”

“ E-Services ”

“School of Astronomy”

Paper IPM / Astronomy / 14342

School of Astronomy

Title:

Probing the diffuse interstellar medium with diffuse interstellar bands

Author(s):

1 .	J.Th. van Loon,
2 .	M. Bailey
3 .	A. Farhang
4 .	A. Javadi
5 .	H.G. Khosroshahi

Status:

Published

Journal:

IAU

Year:

2015

Supported by:

IPM

Abstract:

For a century already, a large number of absorption bands have been known at optical wavelengths, called the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). While their carriers remain unidentified, the relative strengths of these bands in various environments make them interesting new probes of the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). We present the results from two large, dedicated campaigns to map the ISM using DIBs measured in the high signal-to-noise spectra of hundreds of early-type stars: [1] in and around the Local Bubble using ESO's New Technology Telescope and the Isaac Newton Telescope, and [2] across both Magellanic Clouds using the Very Large Telescope and the Anglo-Australian Telescope. We discuss the implications for the structure and dynamics of the ISM, as well as the constraints these maps place on the nature of the carriers of the DIBs. Partial results have appeared in the recent literature (van Loon et al. 2013; Farhang et al. 2015a,b; Bailey, PhD thesis 2014) with the remainder being prepared for publication now.

Download TeX format