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J. S. Arabadjis (MIT), J. N. Bregman (University of Michigan)
Extracting the three-dimensional structure of the interstellar medium (ISM) from its absorption signature upon targets at different distances is not a simple task. Utilizing the appropriate tracer for each ISM component is essential, as is employing a robust algorithm for recovering 3D structure from 2D observations. We believe we have met successfully with these challenges, and present several maps of the local ISM. These maps are generated by assembling column density sets for a number of observationally-independent tracers, and performing a maximum entropy reconstruction to each to recover its underlying 3D structure. The components traced include baryons, atomic hydrogen, molecular hydrogen, gas-phase neutral sodium, and interstellar dust grains. From these maps it is possible to characterize the relative amounts of each component of the ISM as a function of position in the local Galactic disk.
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