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[77.02] FUSE Observations of Rotationally Excited H₂ in Translucent Lines of Sight

B. L. Rachford, E.J. Baker, T.P. Snow (CASA/CU)

We present preliminary results from the second phase of the FUSE survey of molecular hydrogen in translucent lines of sight. Our current focus is to measure and interpret rotationally excited H₂ from approximately two dozen lines of sight with A_V = 1--3. We are combining the FUSE observations with very high resolution spectra of other species (CH, K I, Na I) to help assess the component structure of the H₂, which is observed at medium resolution. The column densities for J > 2 are highly sensitive to the adopted component structure (or single-component b-value), and this becomes more difficult to determine from the H₂ curve of growth with poorer data quality. Our primary goals are to provide accurate column densities, determine if the high-J lines arise from many components or few, and apply chemical models to learn about the conditions in regions where the high-J lines are formed.

This work is based on data obtained for the Guaranteed Time Team by the NASA-CNES-CSA FUSE mission operated by the Johns Hopkins University. Financial support has been provided by NASA contract NAS5-32985.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #4
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.