EVIDENCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE SUBMILLIMETER DUST OPACITY

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 751; no. 1; pp. 1 - 14
• Main Authors: MARTIN, Peter G, ROY, Arabindo, GUNDERSEN, Joshua O, HALPERN, Mark, HARGRAVE, Peter C, HUGHES, David H, KLEIN, Jeff, MARSDEN, Gaelen, MAUSKOPF, Philip, NETTERFIELD, Calvin B, OLMI, Luca, PATANCHON, Guillaume, BONTEMPS, Sylvain, REX, Marie, SCOTT, Douglas, SEMISCH, Christopher, TRUCH, Matthew D. P, TUCKER, Carole, TUCKER, Gregory S, VIERO, Marco P, WIEBE, Donald V, MIVILLE-DESCHENES, Marc-Antoine, ADE, Peter A. R, BOCK, James J, CHAPIN, Edward L, DEVLIN, Mark J, DICKER, Simon R, GRIFFIN, Matthew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP 20.05.2012; American Astronomical Society
• Subjects: ABSORPTION; APERTURES; ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; Color; Continuums; Correlation; CORRELATIONS; COSMIC DUST; DENSITY; Dust; Earth, ocean, space; EMISSION; EMISSIVITY; Exact sciences and technology; FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE; GHZ RANGE; HYDROGEN; HYDROGEN IONS 1 MINUS; INTERSTELLAR SPACE; MILKY WAY; Nuclear power generation; NUCLEONS; OPACITY; Physics; Sciences of the Universe; Solar and Stellar Astrophysics; STARS; TELESCOPES; Blackbody; Galactic planes; High density; Molecular clouds; balloons; infrared: ISM; evolution; Column density; Correlation functions; ISM: structure; Continuum; Color excess; extinction; Correlations; submillimeter: ISM; Diffuse interstellar matter; Nucleons; Opacity; Sky surveys; dust; Infrared excess; Galaxy Astrophysics; Astrophysics
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/751/1/28

The submillimeter opacity of dust in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) in the Galactic plane has been quantified using a pixel-by-pixel correlation of images of continuum emission with a proxy for column density. We used multi-wavelength continuum data: three Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope bands at 250,350, and 500 mu m and one IRAS band at 100 mu m. The proxy is the near-infrared color excess, E(J - K sub(s)), obtained from the Two Micron All Sky Survey. Based on observations of stars, we show how well this color excess is correlated with the total hydrogen column density for regions of moderate extinction. There is a range in total power per H nucleon absorbed (and re-radiated) by the dust, reflecting changes in the strength of the interstellar radiation field and/or the dust absorption opacity. These changes in emission opacity and power affect the equilibrium T, which is typically 15 K, colder than at high latitudes.