Mid-Infrared H2 Lines in Edge-On Galaxies

Details Mid-Infrared H2 Lines in Edge-On Galaxies Mid-Infrared H2 Lines in Edge-On Galaxies

Sep 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004sptz.prop.3319g&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #3319

Physics

Scientific paper

One of the biggest mysteries with disk galaxies is the apparently large invisible mass of material at large galactocentric distances, known as the dark or missing mass. It is possible that there is a large reservoir of molecular gas that has remained undetected in the absence of vigorous star formation in the outer disks. We propose to use the InfraRed Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope to look for the 17 and 28 micron pure rotational lines of molecular hydrogen in two edge-on spiral galaxies. Earlier observations of the edge-on galaxy NGC 891 with ISO suggest that molecular, not atomic, hydrogen may dominate the mass out to large radii. By observing the two lowest quadrupole transitions of molecular hydrogen at various positions along the galaxy disks we can set limits on the mass and physical conditions (temperature and density) of the gas. This will help us to understand the interstellar medium in the Milky Way and provide a template for interpreting high redshift observations of molecular gas and star formation.

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