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Session 49 - The Frontiers of Far Ultraviolet Astrophysics - I.
Topical, Oral session, Wednesday, June 10
Sierra/Padre,
Measurements of D/H, trace heavy elements, and He II Gunn-Peterson absorption in the intergalactic medium (IGM) provide key diagnostics of the baryon density and its spatial distribution, the ionizing background radiation, and processes of star formation and chemical evolution. I will describe the current state of these measurements, together with theoretical implications for related subjects: the first quasars and starburst galaxies, IGM reionization, and stellar astration of deuterium. Two future NASA ultraviolet missions (FUSE and HST/COS) will provide powerful diagnostics of these processes at redshifts z = 2-4.
