Future EUV Observations of the Interstellar Medium

Computer Science – Sound

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

1

Interstellar Dust Grains, Diffuse Emission, Infrared Cirrus, Faint Blue Stars, White Dwarfs, Degenerate Stars, Nuclei Of Planetary Nebulae, Ultraviolet

Scientific paper

Interstellar helium can be observed directly only in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) waveband. However, high sensitivity and spectral resolution are required to disentangle the He II Lyman series lines from the many heavier element lines found in the continuum spectra of many white dwarfs. In 2001 we observed the white dwarf G191-B2 with the world's first high resolution EUV astrophysical spectrometer (J-PEX), flown on a NASA sounding rocket. We were able to detect interstellar He II lines against the background of other species. Our experience underlines the promise of He II absorption line measurements in mapping structure in the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM) such as the Local Bubble and the need for many more high-resolution EUV observations. J-PEX will fly again in 2008 to observe the binary white dwarf Feige 24, but the limited observation time with sounding rockets makes them unattractive for future detailed studies. Here we describe the scientific case for high-resolution EUV spectroscopy, summarize the technology that makes such measurements practical, and present a concept for a ~3-month orbital mission, in which the J-PEX payload is modified for flight as a small-satellite. Such a mission might produce sensitive high-resolution spectra for ~30 white dwarfs, many of which could contribute to the understanding of structure in the LISM.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Future EUV Observations of the Interstellar Medium does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Future EUV Observations of the Interstellar Medium, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Future EUV Observations of the Interstellar Medium will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1313409

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.