The Violent Interstellar Medium at the Galactic Center

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AST 0307052LangDr. Cornelia Lang will carry out an extensive observational program to investigate the astrophysics of the violent interstellar medium in the central regions of the Milky Way galaxy. The goalof this program is to use both recent and proposed multi-wavelength observations of the central200 pc of the Galaxy to put together a more complete picture of the interstellar processes in thisphysically-extreme region. In particular, she will (1) elucidate the complex physical arrangementand associations of stellar and interstellar components in the Galactic Center using a combinationof high-resolution, atomic hydrogen absorption data from the Very Large Array and existing multi-wavelength datasets. (2) Secondly, she will investigate the relationship of the magnetic field inthe Galactic Center to the diffuse interstellar components (e.g. ionized, molecular and very hotgas) and the role it plays in the transport of energy out of the nucleus using existing and futureradio polarimetric and X-ray datasets. Comparisons between the magnetized and other interstellarcomponents are crucial to determining the physical processes at work in this environment. Thelevel of detail that can be observed in the central few hundred parsecs of the Galaxy vastlyexceeds the resolution with which one can probe the nuclear regions of other galaxies. Ultimately,this type of investigation of the violent processes occurring in our own Galactic Center will provideinsight as to the nature of violent processes occurring in the nuclear regions of other galaxies.As a key aspect of the research program, Dr. Lang will be working with the Womenin Science and Engineering (WISE) program at the University of Iowa to involve traditionallyunder-represented female physics and astronomy students (both undergraduate and graduate) inan active research collaboration. In addition to carrying out the proposed observations and analysisof Galactic Center data, Dr. Lang and her students will create a web-based, multi-wavelengthGalactic Center resource for members of the scientific community, teachers of all levels, and thegeneral public.***