星际红化.PDF

§3.5 星际红化 银河系中星际物 质的质量约有 109M⊙，占可见恒 星质量的百分之 几，银河系的总质 量约有1011 M⊙， 因此星际物质是银 河系不可忽视的组 成部分。 星际物质在银河系中分布并不是均匀的，与恒星一样，它们大 多聚集在银道面附近。 所以越靠近银道面，星际消光越严重，同理，银道面附近我 们所看到的河外星系的数目也急剧下降。 位于人马座的礁湖星云(又名M8或NGC6523) ，此图是1973年用Kitt Peak 4-meter Mayall telescope 拍摄的。礁湖星云由于隐藏在中心的一颗炙热恒星的辐射而发红光。在星云内，暗黑的丝状物质 发出强的红外辐射。星云中一些奇怪的变星会突然喷发，使它的光度几乎增大为原来的25倍。它 距离我们大约6500光年，跨度约为60光年。 The Rosette Nebula is a large emission nebula located 3000 light-years away. The great abundance of hydrogen gas gives NGC 2237. The wind from the open cluster of stars known as NGC 2244 has cleared a hole in the nebulas center. The above photograph, however, was taken in the light emitted by three elements of the gas ionized by the energetic central stars. Here green light originating from oxygen and blue light originating from sulfur(硫磺) supplements the red from hydrogen. Filaments of dark dust lace run through the nebulas gases. 星际空间存在着星际气体和星际尘埃，统称为星际介质 (也称星际物质Interstellar Media -- ISM) 。 星际气体(Interstellar gas)：主要由氢(90%)、氦(9%)等元 素的分子(10-9 -10 m)、原子[average size 10 m (0.1 nm)]和离 子组成。 星际尘埃(Interstellar dust) ：主要由石墨(graphite)、硅酸 盐(silicates)尘粒(dust grain) 以及水、氨、甲烷等冰质点组 成。The size of a typical interstellar dust particle—or dust grain—is about 10-7 m (0.1 µm). astronomers know the shapes of interstellar dust particles better than their composition. Although the minute atoms in the interstellar gas are basically spherical, the dust particles are not. Interstellar Dust (a) A diagram of a typical interstellar dust particle, as inferred from polarization studies. The average size of such particles is only 1/10,000 of a millimeter (0.1 µm). (b) shows the results of a computer simulation of how grain may grow as dust particles collide(碰撞), stick(粘贴), and fragment(碎裂) in interstellar space. The resulting grains are linear, or rodlike(类树形), on small