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Presentation
The Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper Sky Survey: A First Look At the Global Distribution of Diffuse Ionized Gas in the Milky Way
217th American Astronomical Society Meeting (2011)
  • Nitish Chopra, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • L. M. Haffner, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • R. J. Reynolds, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • G. J. Madsen, University of Sydney, Australia
  • A. S. Hill, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • K. A. Barger, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • K. P. Jaehnig, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • E. J. Mierkiewicz, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • J. W. Percival, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • N. M. Pingel, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • D. T. Reese, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • M. C. Gostisha, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Abstract
After a year of observations from its new location on Cerro Tololo, the Wisconsin Hα Mapper (WHAM) has nearly completed survey observations below δ < -30°. This new data combined with the Northern Sky Survey provides the first kinematic, all-sky survey of diffuse Hα from the Milky Way. Aside from many large-scale, locally-ionized regions, much of this emission arises from the Warm Ionized Medium (WIM), a diffuse but thick component of the ISM that extends several kiloparsecs into the Galactic halo. WHAM was designed primarily to study the WIM, delivering a spatially integrated spectrum from a one-degree beam on the sky covering 200 km s-1 with 12 km s-1 spectral resolution. The short exposures of the survey reach sensitivity levels of about 0.1 R (EM 0.2 pc cm-6) and reveal emission toward nearly every direction in the sky. Here, we present our early efforts at reducing this new southern dataset and offer a first look at the global distribution and kinematics of diffuse ionized gas throughout the Galaxy. WHAM and the research presented here are funded by NSF award AST-0607512. We also thank the excellent and responsive staff at CTIO in Chile for helping to keep our remote installation fully operational.
Keywords
  • Interstellar medium,
  • Milky Way
Publication Date
January, 2011
Location
Seattle, WA
Comments
Abstract #id.251.07. Also published in the Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, vol. 43, 2011.
Citation Information
Nitish Chopra, L. M. Haffner, R. J. Reynolds, G. J. Madsen, et al.. "The Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper Sky Survey: A First Look At the Global Distribution of Diffuse Ionized Gas in the Milky Way" 217th American Astronomical Society Meeting (2011)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/edwin_mierkiewicz/77/