The galactic interstellar medium
W. B. Burton, B. G. Elmegreen, R. Genzel;
Springer-Verlag, 1992, 412 pages

ABSTRACT:The present volume on the Galactic ISM discusses the distribution and observational properties of the ISM, large-scale dynamics of the ISM, and the physics and chemistry of molecular clouds. Attention is given to observations of H I and other tracers of the low-latitude morphology of the ISM in the Milky Way, Galactic rotation and constants specifying the kinematic and linear scales of the Milky Way, and line-broadening mechanisms determining profile shapes at low latitudes. Topics addressed include the basic state of the interstellar gas, gas flow in spiral density waves, gas instabilities, and global star formation. Also discussed are tools of IR and radio astronomy, interstellar chemistry, circumstellar clouds and masers, and molecular clouds in the Galactic center and external galaxies.
KEYWORDS: galactic structure, interstellar matter, angular velocity, astronomical models, carbon monoxide, computational astrophysics, cosmic dust, cosmochemistry, emission spectra, galactic rotation, gas dynamics, h i regions, interstellar gas, line spectra, milky way galaxy, optical thickness, shock wave propagation
PERSOKEY:milky way, ,
CODE: burton92