in order to determine whether there is substantial infrared emission from the ionized component of the interstellar medium, we propose to observe a field, already mapped in the h-alpha and hi lines at 3 arcmin resolution, using isophot. to date, the infrared emission from the diffuse, ionized component of the interstellar medium at high galactic latitude has never been detected. such emission, if present, would have a substantial impact on the infrared background inferred from iras or cobe/dirbe analyses, which use the atomic gas alone as a tracer of the interstellar medium. the field can be covered in a 13 x 19 raster of pointings. two wavebands (100 and 160 microns) will be used, so that the color of the infrared emission from the atomic and ionized media (if detected) can be separately determined.
Instrument
CAM04 , LWS02 , PHT22
Temporal Coverage
1997-01-25T22:26:11Z/1997-09-01T20:16:30Z
Version
1.0
Mission Description
The Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was the world's first true orbiting infrared observatory. Equipped with four highly-sophisticated and versatile scientific instruments, it was launched by Ariane in November 1995 and provided astronomers world-wide with a facility of unprecedented sensitivity and capabilities for a detailed exploration of the Universe at infrared wavelengths.
