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Infrared Light Scattering as a Diagnostic of Interstellar Dust

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dc.date.accessioned 2014-05-05T08:53:38Z und
dc.date.accessioned 2017-10-24T12:04:48Z
dc.date.available 2014-05-05T08:53:38Z und
dc.date.available 2017-10-24T12:04:48Z
dc.date.issued 2014-05-05T08:53:38Z
dc.identifier.uri http://radr.hulib.helsinki.fi/handle/10138.1/3663 und
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10138.1/3663
dc.title Infrared Light Scattering as a Diagnostic of Interstellar Dust en
ethesis.discipline Astronomy en
ethesis.discipline Tähtitiede fi
ethesis.discipline Astronomi sv
ethesis.discipline.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/6f5d95bc-1d1b-46ec-8692-e74fe88e4565
ethesis.department.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/3acb09b1-e6a2-4faa-b677-1a1b03285b66
ethesis.department Institutionen för fysik sv
ethesis.department Department of Physics en
ethesis.department Fysiikan laitos fi
ethesis.faculty Matematisk-naturvetenskapliga fakulteten sv
ethesis.faculty Matemaattis-luonnontieteellinen tiedekunta fi
ethesis.faculty Faculty of Science en
ethesis.faculty.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/8d59209f-6614-4edd-9744-1ebdaf1d13ca
ethesis.university.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/50ae46d8-7ba9-4821-877c-c994c78b0d97
ethesis.university Helsingfors universitet sv
ethesis.university University of Helsinki en
ethesis.university Helsingin yliopisto fi
dct.creator Saajasto, Mika Markus
dct.issued 2014
dct.language.ISO639-2 eng
dct.abstract Recent studies suggest a population of dust grains exceeding the classical maximum grain size of 0.25 µm to be present in the denser regions of the interstellar medium. In this study, we examine the possibility of using scattered near- and mid-infrared light as an instrument to determine the properties of interstellar dust grains. We will be utilizing observations of the filament TMC-1N located in the Taurus molecular cloud complex with a wavelength coverage from 1.25 µm to 8.0 µm. The observations were made with the United Kingdom infrared telescopes (UKIRT) wide-field infrared camera (WFCAM), and with Spitzer space telescopes IRAC instrument. We have also used the COBE satellites DIRBE instrument, and observations from the WISE satellite to determine the strength of the background intensity towards our source. To analyse the observations, we use radiative-transfer calculations and Markov chain Monte Carlo computations on several different dust models with varying grain-size distributions and chemical compositions. The optical properties of the dust grains are based on the computations made by Li and Draine (The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 554, p. 778, 2001). The parameters we are studying are the maximum grain size of the dust grains, the size distribution of the grains, the strength of the radiation field towards the Taurus molecular cloud complex, and the optical depth of the TMC-1N filament. Comparing our simulations with the observations, a dust grain population with maximum grain sizes exceeding the classical 0.25 µm seems most probable. Our simulations also indicate that the grain size distribution favours smaller grains over the large ones, although the larger grains contribute a significant portion of the total dust mass. These changes in the grain population should also be seen in the observed thermal emission. Thus, for further studies on the topic, we would suggest methods that combine information gathered from infrared light scattering and emission studies. en
dct.language en
ethesis.language.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/languages/eng
ethesis.language English en
ethesis.language englanti fi
ethesis.language engelska sv
ethesis.thesistype pro gradu-avhandlingar sv
ethesis.thesistype pro gradu -tutkielmat fi
ethesis.thesistype master's thesis en
ethesis.thesistype.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/thesistypes/mastersthesis
dct.identifier.urn URN:NBN:fi-fe2017112251991
dc.type.dcmitype Text

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