All Questions
Tagged with interstellar-medium astrophysics
8 questions
6
votes
2
answers
513
views
Can there be free electrons in interstellar gas in the long term?
If I'm not mistaken, in interstellar gas, there can be clouds of free electrons (not "attached" to any atomic nucleus)
But can they stay like that indefinetely? Or will they inevitably end ...
- 1,333
5
votes
1
answer
324
views
What is the meaning of integrated emission maps for these chemical species?
In the Astrobites article Spectral Line Survey Reveals New Molecules in Two Protoplanetary Disks integrated emission maps depict the spatial distribution of the flux received from each "line.&...
- 153
18
votes
2
answers
3k
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Why isn't most hydrogen in the universe molecular (diatomic), instead of atomic (monoatomic)?
Similar questions have been asked before; but, why?
Is the monoatomic hydrogen left over from the Big Bang? And hasn't had the opportunity to collide with other hydrogen atoms yet?
Or are hydrogen ...
- 5,585
3
votes
1
answer
138
views
What do these statements about interstellar magnetic fields really mean?
Quanta Magazine's The Hidden Magnetic Universe Begins to Come Into View is a fascinating review of a rapidly evolving field in astronomy.
It contains some statements that I feel are important to ...
- 30.7k
6
votes
2
answers
686
views
Why is blue light extincted more strongly than red?
We know that blue light suffers extinction more strongly than red (examples include ISM, atmosphere etc.), but why? Is it a property of the shorter wavelength itself? Can someone provide a conceptual ...
- 1,111
1
vote
1
answer
142
views
Has "GHz-spinning dust" ever been demonstrated in the laboratory?
This excellent answer to the question What is the physics of the “spinning dust” contribution to Cosmic Microwave Background measurements? includes the figure below which helps show what it was the ...
- 30.7k
4
votes
1
answer
460
views
Why dust is optically thin in Far Infrared wavelengths?
What is the actual meaning of the statement 'Dust is optically thin in the Far Infrared (FIR) over most of the Galaxy'? Kindly Help
- 503
1
vote
2
answers
112
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Dust mass-loss rate from a massive star given a set of parameters?
I've been looking for examples at how mass-loss rates are determined.
I'm studying a circumstellar dust shell ejected from a Wolf-Rayet star. I have some parameters like, expansion velocity of the ...
- 69