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Fundamental Astronomy pp 289–320Cite as

The Interstellar Medium

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Abstract

Although most of the mass of the Milky Way Galaxy is condensed into stars, interstellar space is not completely empty. It contains gas and dust in the form both of individual clouds and of a diffuse medium. Interstellar space typically contains about one gas atom per cubic centimetre and 100 dust particles per cubic kilometre.

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Further Reading

  • Dyson, Williams: The Physics of the Interstellar Medium, Manchester University Press 1980.

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  • Longair: High Energy Astrophysics,Cambridge University Press, 2nd ed. Vol. 1–2 1992, 1994.

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  • Spitzer: Physical Processes in the Interstellar Medium,Wiley 1978.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, 21500, Piikkiö, Finland

    Dr. Hannu Karttunen

  2. Isonniitynkatu 9 C 9, 00520, Helsinki, Finland

    Dr. Pekka Kröger

  3. Observatory and University of Helsinki, Tähtitorninmäki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Dr. Heikki Oja

  4. Finnish Geodetic Institute, Geodeetinrinne 2, 02430, Masala, Finland

    Dr. Markku Poutanen

  5. Finnish Geodetic Institute, Ilmalankatu 1 a, 00240, Helsinki, Finland

    Dr. Karl Johan Donner

Authors
  1. Dr. Hannu Karttunen
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  2. Dr. Pekka Kröger
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  3. Dr. Heikki Oja
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  4. Dr. Markku Poutanen
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  5. Dr. Karl Johan Donner
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, 21500, Piikkiö, Finland

    Hannu Karttunen

  2. Isonniitynkatu 9 C 9, 00520, Helsinki, Finland

    Pekka Kröger

  3. Observatory and University of Helsinki, Tähtitorninmäki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Heikki Oja

  4. Finnish Geodetic Institute, Geodeetinrinne 2, 02430, Masala, Finland

    Markku Poutanen

  5. Finnish Geodetic Institute, Ilmalankatu 1 a, 00240, Helsinki, Finland

    Karl Johan Donner

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© 2003 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Karttunen, H., Kröger, P., Oja, H., Poutanen, M., Donner, K.J. (2003). The Interstellar Medium. In: Karttunen, H., Kröger, P., Oja, H., Poutanen, M., Donner, K.J. (eds) Fundamental Astronomy. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-05333-1_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-05333-1_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-05335-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-05333-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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