Introductory Lecture: The Local and General Interstellar Medium

Abstract

AbstractImportant progress in the field of the Interstellar Medium (ISM) in general, and the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM) in particular, has been largely due to the recent launch of orbiting satellite missions and earth-bound observations with unprecedented sensitivity and high spectral or spatial resolution. However, the interpretation of a wealth of new data is still based to a great extent on models that were designed for the previous generation of observations. Thus there remains a clear gap between our theoretical understanding of the basic physics of the ISM and the detailed information available. In such a situation it seems appropriate to focus on some key observations and discuss their implications for modelling.