Contents -- Interstellar Medium and the Milky Way

• Introduction
• Interstellar Medium (ISM)
  • Dust
    1. Extinction
    2. Reddening
    3. Review Questions
  • Gas
    1. H II Regions
    2. 21 cm radiation
    3. Using 21 cm radiation to Map the Galaxy
    4. Molecules
       1. Molecular clouds
       2. Molecular Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide Connection
    5. Review Questions
• Galactic Structure
  • Period-Luminosity Relation for Variable Stars
    1. Cepheids
       1. Type I: classical Cepheids
       2. Type II: W Virginis Cepheids
    2. RR Lyrae
  • Our Location
  • Our Motion
  • Deriving the Galactic Mass from the Rotation Curve
  • Spiral Arms
    1. Density Wave Theory
    2. Self-propogating Star Formation
    3. Transient Spirals
  • Populations of Stars
  • Galactic Center
  • Milky Way Summary
  • Review Questions