Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2005
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005hia....13..808w&link_type=abstract
Highlights of Astronomy, Vol. 13, as presented at the XXVth General Assembly of the IAU - 2003 [Sydney, Australia, 13 - 26 July
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
High resolution (FWHM = 0.3-1.5 km/s) optical spectra of the interstellar absorption due to various atomic and molecular species have revealed complex structure along many lines of sight. Fits to the line profiles suggest that the median line widths for individual components (""clouds"") seen in the trace neutral species and the median separation between adjacent components are both less than 1.2 km/s. Moreover the adjacent components can have very different properties (e.g. Na I/Ca II ratio line width molecular abundances). Such high resolution spectra are therefore necessary for both discerning and determining the composition and physical properties of individual interstellar clouds. We will briefly discuss several recent investigations in which high resolution optical spectra have played a significant role: 1) the recognition and characterization of small-scale (sub-pc) structure in both atomic and molecular gas; 2) the discovery of variations in the 7Li/6Li isotopic ratio in the nearby Galactic ISM; 3) the determination of atomic and molecular abundances and physical conditions for heavily reddened (""translucent"") Galactic sightlines; and 4) studies of interstellar clouds in the LMC and SMC.
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