Cold atomic hydrogen
The component of our galaxy that contains only a small amount of interstellar medium is the halo. The halo is the spherical region surrounding the galaxy that contains older stars, globular clusters, and dark matter, but it has very low densities of gas and dust compared to the more active regions like the disk. This lack of interstellar medium in the halo contrasts with the rich presence of gas and dust in the galaxy's disk, where new stars form.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the interstellar medium, making up about 90% of its mass. Helium is the second most abundant element in the interstellar medium, with trace amounts of heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen, and others.
The interstellar medium is enriched with heavy elements by the remnants of supernova explosions. Supernovae are massive stellar explosions that release heavy elements such as carbon, oxygen, and iron into space, enriching the surrounding interstellar medium with these elements.
One consequence of dust in the interstellar medium is causing reddening of starlight due to scattering and absorption.
When a medium is described as dispersive, it means that the speed of light through that medium depends on the frequency or wavelength of the light. An example of a dispersive medium is a prism, where white light is separated into its component colors due to their different speeds in the medium.
interstellar extinction. This phenomenon occurs due to the absorption and scattering of light by dust and gas particles present in the interstellar medium, leading to a decrease in the observed brightness of the starlight.
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally boundsystem that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter.
The wavelength of the wave can change as it passes into Medium 2, depending on the refractive indices of the mediums. If the wave enters a medium with a higher refractive index, the wavelength will decrease. If it enters a medium with a lower refractive index, the wavelength will increase.
Brian M. Cancellieri has written: 'Interstellar medium' -- subject(s): Interstellar matter
Visible light against electrons combined with ionized hydrogen create the "reddening" effect in the Interstellar Medium.
Ginevra Trinchieri has written: 'The environmental impact of intra-cluster medium on the interstellar medium in early type galaxies' -- subject(s): X ray astronomy, Galaxies, Interstellar matter
The wavelength of the waves decreases as they pass into a denser medium. This is because the speed of the waves decreases in a denser medium, but the frequency remains constant. This results in a shorter wavelength.