Article contents
Water in the interstellar media of galaxies
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 October 2016
Abstract
This paper reviews recent observations of water in Galactic interstellar clouds and nearby galactic nuclei. Two results are highlighted: (1) Multi-line H2O mapping of the Orion Bar shows that the water chemistry in PDRs is driven by photodissociation and -desorption, unlike in star-forming regions. (2) High-resolution spectra of H2O and its ions toward 5 starburst / AGN systems reveal low ionization rates, unlike as found from higher-excitation lines. We conclude that the chemistry of water strongly depends on radiation environment, and that the ionization rates of interstellar clouds decrease by at least 10 between galactic nuclei and disks.
- Type
- Contributed Papers
- Information
- Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 11 , General Assembly A29B: Astronomy in Focus , August 2015 , pp. 395 - 399
- Copyright
- Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2016
References
- 1
- Cited by