Cooling Line Research
Cooling of the interstellar medium occurs when collision-excited molecules emit photons and release energy. The focus of my research is on photo dissociation regions (PDRs), where two strong emissions dominate the cooling. At cooler temperatures and low densities, the [CII] 158 micrometer line is more important, while at warmer temperatures and more dense conditions, the [OI] 63 micrometer line dominates. These two cooling lines were measured by the European Infrared Space Observatory (ISO).
The Spitzer Space Telescope has brought incredible advances in the study of the dust, gas, and the interstellar medium; however, its spectroscopic range does not include the two dominant cooling lines, [CII] and [OI]. This keeps the observatory from studying cooling processes at the same level of detail as heating processes. There is hope, though, that other cooling lines may be strong tracers of [CII] and [OI]. If this is true, Spitzer can study both the heating features as well as cooling processes. This would provide a greater understanding of the recycling of matter and the life cycles of stars.
Cooling Line Galaxy Extraction Regions
Data Plots
Line Flux Extractions
Research 2008
Kaufman Contours Abel Contours
FeII/X-Ray
Long-Low Regions
Herschel Predictions
High-Res vs. Low-Res
Abundances Used in Models
Cliff Johnson's Cooling Line Page
Personal Links
SURAP Pictures
My Home-Made Newtonian
Oberlin Astronomy Homepage
Pictures 2008
Sources
Dale et al, 2007. Infrared Cooling Lines in the Mid- and Far-Infrared.Taliens, A. The Interstellar Medium
