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Session 61 -- Molecular Clouds, Star Formation

Display presentation, Thursday, 9:20-4:00, Pauley Room

[61.19] Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of the Taurus Molecular Cloud: Dust Scattering and H$_{2}$ Fluorescence

The far ultraviolet spectrum of diffuse emission from an extended but narrow region in the Taurus molecular cloud is analyzed in detail. The intensity of the continuum drops as the optical depth increases, an effect which is the opposite of that observed at high galactic latitudes. The continuum intensity is interpreted with a radiative transfer model for scattering within the cloud, and constraints are established on combinations of the albedo and phase factor. The fluorescence of H$_{2}$ is used to set constraints on the density in the cloud.

This research has been supported by NASA grant NGR05-003-450.

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