Previous | Session 78 | Next
Y. Terzian (Cornell University/NAIC)
The Arecibo seven-beam ALFA system will be used to survey the galactic plane to detect radio recombination lines of hydrogen, helium and carbon. Several Hn alpha lines (n=167, 166, 165, 164) will be observed simultaneously in a wide band and then co-added to secure a long integration time. This sensitivity will allow the detection of recombination lines from HII regions, planetary nebulae, young massive star forming regions, novae, ionized stellar outflows, and the diffuse ionized interstellar galactic medium. This survey will allow the systematic study of the physical parameters of different classes of objects such as the two dimensional velocity structure that can provide information on the turbulent motions, rotation, expansion and contraction of the ionized gas, the electron density distribution, the relative abundances of H, He and C, and will provide data on the distribution of electron temperatures in the galactic plane.
Previous | Session 78 | Next
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.