CO: Twenty-Five Years of Millimeter-Wave Spectroscopy: Proceedings of the 170th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union, Held in Tucson, ... Astronomical Union Symposia, 170) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0792342844 ISBN 13: 9780792342847

Publisher: Springer, 1996

Synopsis

Interstellar carbon monoxide (CO) was first detected in 1970 with the 36 foot diameter telescope of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory! on Kitt Peak in Southern Arizona. R. W. Wilson, K. B. Jefferts, and A. A. Penzias of Bell Labs reported, "We have found intense 2.6 mm line radiation 2 from nine Galactic sources which we attribute to carbon monoxide." Soon afterward, several other basic molecules were also observed in space. IAU Symposium 170, CO: Twenty Five Years of Millimeter Wave Spectroscopy, was organized to commemorate those discoveries. The Symposium reviewed the accomplishments of a quarter century of research on interstellar molec­ ular gas, surveyed the current state of millimeter-wave spectroscopy, and gave a glimpse of what the next 25 years might hold. Studies of interstellar CO have revolutionized our understanding of the phases and dynamics of the interstellar medium, the initial and final stages of stellar evolution, the chemistry of dense and diffuse interstellar matter and of the solar system, the structure of the Milky Way galaxy, and the content and structure of other galaxies, some very distant. Spectroscopic studies of CO and other molecules are primary tools for investigating all these topics, which are among the most fundamental and active research areas in astrophysics. New developments in instrumentation, including sev­ eral powerful new telescopes, continue to keep millimeter and submillimeter wavelength radio astronomy at the forefront of research.

About this title

Synopsis

Interstellar carbon monoxide (CO) was first detected in 1970 by R.W. Wilson, K.B. Jefferts, and A.A. Penzias through observations of its lowest rotational transition at 2.6 mm wavelength. This discovery opened the door to a profound new understanding of several diverse yet related fields, including the phases of the interstellar medium, the initial and final phases of stellar evolution, the chemistry of dense and diffuse interstellar matter and of the solar system, the structure of the Milky Way galaxy, and the content and structure of other galaxies. These are among the most fundamental research areas in astrophysics, and spectroscopic information about CO and other molecules serves as a primary tool of investigation.Continuing developments in instrumentation will further increase the power and utility of millimeter and submillimeter-wavelength molecular line spectroscopy. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the detection of CO was an opportunity for researchers from all branches of millimeter-wave astronomy to gather and review progress and future directions. These Proceedings discuss the state of the field and consider important unanswered questions.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0792342844
• ISBN 13: 9780792342847
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 528
• Editor: Latter William B., Radford Simon J.E., Jewell Philip R., Mangum Jeffrey G., Bally John