Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

The nearby interstellar medium

Nature volume 293, pages 377–379 (1981)Cite this article

Abstract

The high dispersion spectrometer on board the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite was used to observe interstellar absorption lines in Rasalhague (α Oph). This star is located 18 pc from the Sun in the direction of the North Polar Spur, a prominent radio continuum feature in the Ophiuchus region of the sky. The satellite results, combined with previous interstellar line data and observations of the ‘local interstellar wind’ and soft X-ray emission, support earlier suggestions that the Sun is immersed in a supernova remnant which may be an extension of the ‘Loop I’ or ‘North Polar Spur’ supernova remnant seen in the Scorpius–Ophiuchus region of the sky.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hobbs, L. M. Astrophys. J. 157, 135–174 (1969); 166, 333–342 (1971); 191, 381–394 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Stokes, G. M. Astrophys. J. Suppl. 36, 115–142 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Frisch, P. C. thesis, Univ. California at Berkeley (1976).

  4. Stromgren, B. Astrophys. J. 108, 242–252 (1948).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Adams, W. S. Astrophys. J. 109, 354–379 (1949).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. McClintock, W., Henry, R. C., Linsky, J. L. & Moos, H. W. Astrophys. J. 225, 465–481 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Snow, T. P. & Meyers, K. A. Astrophys. J. 229, 545–552 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Morton, D. C. Astrophys. J. 197, 85–115 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Snow, T. P., Weiler, E. J. & Oegerle, W. R. Astrophys. J. 234, 506–512 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Shull, J. M., York, D. G. & Hobbs, L. M. Astrophys. J. Lett. 211, L139–L143 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Spitzer, L. Comments Astrophys. 6, 177–187 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Cowie, L. L. Astrophys. J. 225, 887–892 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Frisch, P. C. Astrophys. J. 227, 474–482 (1979); 241, 697–708 (1980); UV Observations of Nearby ISM IUE preprint (VI Max-Planck-Institut für Aeronomie Workshop, Lindau, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Berkhuijsen, E. M. Astr. Astrophys. 14, 359–386 (1971).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Spoelstra, T. A. Astr. Astrophys. 21, 61–84 (1972).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Ajello, J. M. Astrophys. J. 222, 1068–1079 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Witt, N., Ajello, J. M. & Blum, P. W. Astr. Astrophys. 73, 272–281 (1979).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Meier, R. R. Astr. Astrophys. 55, 211–219 (1977); Workshop Summary (VI Max-Planck-Institut fur Aeronomie Workshop, Lindau, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Thomas, G. E. Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 13, 1063–1083 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. Weller, C. S. & Meier, R. R. Astrophys. J. 193, 471–416 (1974); 203, 769 (1976); 246, 386–393 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Adams, T. F. & Frisch, P. C. Astrophys. J. 212, 300–308 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Bertaux, J. L., Blamont, J. E., Mironova, E. N., Kurt, V. G. & Bourgin, M. C. Nature 270, 156–158 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. McKee, C. F. & Ostriker, J. P. Astrophys. J. 218, 148–169 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Freid, P. M., Nousek, J. A., Sanders, W. T. & Kraushaar, W. L. Astrophys. J. 242, 987–1004 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sanders, W. R., Kraushaar, W. L., Nousek, J. A. & Freid, P. M. Astrophys. J. Lett. 217, L87–L92 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Davelaar, J., Bleeker, J. A. M. & Deerenberg, A. J. M. Astr. Astrophys. 92, 231–237 (1980).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Millar, T. J. & Duley, W. W. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 187, 379–387 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Savage, B. D. & Bohlin, R. C. Astrophys. J. 229, 136–146 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Iwan, D. Astrophys. J. 239, 316–327 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tanaka, S. & Inoue, T. 16th Int. Cosmic Ray Conf., Kyoto 2, 277–279 (1979).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Cameron, A. G. W. Origin and Distribution of the Elements (ed. Ahrens, H.) 125–143 (Pergamon, 1968).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  32. Vidal-Madjur, A., Laurent, C., Bruston, P. & Audouze, J. Astrophys. J. 223, 589–600 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. Bruston, P., Audouze, J., Vidal-Madjur, A. & Laurent, C. Astrophys. J. (in the press).

  34. Crutcher, R. M. Astrophys. J. (in the press).

  35. Bruhweiler, F. C. & Kondo, Y. Astrophys. J. Lett. (in the press).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research of the Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, USA

    P. C. Frisch

Authors
  1. P. C. Frisch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Frisch, P. The nearby interstellar medium. Nature 293, 377–379 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/293377a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/293377a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing