Many astronomically interesting emission lines fall into these ranges β particularly those that trace the formation of massive stars and the properties of the interstellar medium. By simultaneously capturing both images and spectra, FIFI-LS is able to deeply probe the composition and physical properties like pressure and temperature of heavily dust-obscured, star-forming regions in our own galaxy, as well as those in nearby external galaxies and galactic nuclei.
Despite its relative nearness, this galaxy is still roughly million light-years away, making it the most distant object ever studied with SOFIA. By demonstrating that the two different types of emission occur in the same places in the galaxy, the team shows that [CII] emission can be used as a powerful diagnostic tool for tracing star formation even in distant galaxies β and even when those galaxies host luminous active nuclei.
Right: X-ray, optical, and infrared composite image of M The deficit of [CII] emission from the upper companion galaxy suggests it has a much lower star formation rate. The molecular cloud BYF 73 is currently collapsing in on itself, making it a promising target in which to watch the formation of massive stars. HII regions are shown in blue. Click to enlarge.
Busch et al. Pineda et al. Pitts et al. Simpson et al. Appleton et al.
