[33.05] High-Velocity Clouds, Where Art Thou?

AAS 200th meeting, Albuquerque, NM, June 2002
Session 33. Gaseous Galaxy Halos and Edges of Disk Galaxies
Topical Session Oral, Tuesday, June 4, 2002, 8:30-10:00am, 10:45am-12:30pm, 2:00-3:30pm, 3:45-5:30pm, Ballroom A

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[33.05] High-Velocity Clouds, Where Art Thou?

M.E. Putman (CASA, University of Colorado)

Concentrations of neutral hydrogen in the Galactic halo, known as high- velocity clouds (HVCs), cover at least 30-40% of the sky and have velocities which greatly deviate from a simple model of Galactic rotation. Since the distances to HVCs are largely unknown, their role in galaxy formation and evolution remains open to further investigation. Many methods have been invoked to determine the behavior and placement of the clouds in the Galactic halo. Halpha observations are a powerful new method of constraining HVC distances and the surrounding halo conditions. Studies of other spiral galaxies, including deep HI studies and absorption line surveys using background objects, are also an important constraint on the origin and impact of HVCs. These types of studies will be discussed in the context of the role of HVCs in spiral galaxy evolution.

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