The Violent Interstellar Medium at the Galactic Center

AST 0307052 langdr。科妮莉亚·朗将执行一项广泛的观测计划，研究银河系中心区域剧烈星际介质的天体物理学。这个项目的目标是利用最近和提议的对银河系中央200pc的多波长观测，在这个物理上极端的地区，把星际过程的更完整的画面放在一起。特别是，她将(1)阐明银河系中心恒星和星际成分的复杂物理排列和关联，使用来自甚大阵列和现有多波长数据集的高分辨率原子氢吸收数据的组合。(2)其次，她将利用现有和未来的射电极化和x射线数据集，研究银河系中心的磁场与漫射星际成分（如电离、分子和非常热的气体）的关系，以及它在核外能量传输中所起的作用。比较磁化和其他星际成分对于确定在这种环境中工作的物理过程至关重要。在银河系中心几百秒差距处可以观察到的细节水平远远超过了探测其他星系核心区域的分辨率。最终，这种对发生在我们银河系中心的剧烈过程的调查将提供对发生在其他星系核心区域的剧烈过程的本质的见解。作为研究项目的一个关键方面，Lang博士将与爱荷华大学的女性科学与工程（WISE）项目合作，让传统上代表性不足的女性物理学和天文学学生（本科生和研究生）积极参与研究合作。除了对银河系中心的数据进行观测和分析之外，Lang博士和她的学生还将为科学界、各级教师和公众创建一个基于网络的多波长银河系中心资源

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.***