In simple words, the interstellar medium is the material that fills the space between the stars. Elements in the interstellar medium (ISM) exist in the form of gas or dust.
Studying the interstellar medium’s chemical and physical properties, especially interstellar dust, helps to understand the evolution of galaxies, the formation of stars and planetary systems, and even the origin of life.
In a new study, scientists from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) and Prof. LI Aigen from the University of Missouri offered exciting results about interstellar extinction and elemental abundance.
To find simple words, the interstellar medium is the material that fills the space between the stars. Elements in the interstellar medium (ISM) exist in the form of gas or dust.
Studying the interstellar medium’s chemical and physical properties, especially interstellar dust, helps to understand the evolution of galaxies, the formation of stars and planetary systems, and even the origin of life.
In a new study, scientists from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) and Prof. LI Aigen from the University of Missouri offered exciting results about interstellar extinction and elemental abundance.
By applying the model-independent Kramers-Kronig relation, scientists found the most appropriate set of interstellar reference abundance. The Kramers-Kronig link relates the wavelength-integrated extinction to the total dust volume.
Prof. LI Aigen said, “The result supports the Galactic chemical enrichment (GCE)-augmented protosolar abundance as a viable representation of the interstellar abundance.”
Prof. ZHAO Gang from the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) said, “This is an interesting work; it provides a new path to study the nature of the interstellar medium.”
Journal Reference:
- Wenbo Zuo et al. Interstellar Extinction and Elemental Abundances. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4365/abcc6d