This thesis encompasses the study of the mid-infrared (IR) dust properties in diffuse high latitude cirrus and in the dense environments of supernova remnants (SNRs) in the plane of our Galaxy. Unlike the well known emission properties of dust grains in the diffuse ISM in the far-IR and submillimeter, the mid-IR spectrum is still relatively unconstrained. We extend the correlation of dust emission with H I column densities to mid-IR wavelengths and look for evidence of variations in the emissivity of dust associated with local and halo gas. This is accomplished by spatially correlating the IR maps from the IRIS/IRAS survey at 12, 25, 60 and 100 μm with H I column density maps inferred from 21-cm line emission observations obtained with the GBT (at a 9′ resolution). We find that IVCs (halo clouds thought to be part of the Galactic fountain) show color ratios consistent with a dust evolution scenario in which large dust grains are shattered into smaller ones (VSGs). The low 12 μm emission found suggests a reduced abundance of PAHs in IVCs. We also address the IR extragalactic emission seen in our residual maps and quantify its power spectrum behaviour. Continuing with the mid-IR theme, we conducted a comprehensive study of the morphology and energetics of SNRs in the plane of our Galaxy. We make use of the Spitzer MIPSGAL (at 24 and 70 μm) and GLIMPSE (at 8 μm) surveys to detected infrared counterparts to SNR candidates in Green’s catalog. We find that a third of the sample shows IR emission and calculate the corresponding fluxes. We explore the relation between IR colors to place constraints on the different IR SNRs emission mechanisms. Aided by archival radio data, we find that most candidates detected show IR-to-radio ratios consistent with SNRs with a few exceptions displaying ratios seen in H II regions. Finally, we explore the connection between the IR and the high-energy X-ray emission of SNRs and find a good morphological association between the 24 μm emission and the X-ray features in younger remnants. The IR power is often greater.

This thesis encompasses the study of the mid-infrared (IR) dust properties in diffuse high latitude cirrus and in the dense environments of supernova remnants (SNRs) in the plane of our Galaxy. Unlike the well known emission properties of dust grains in the diffuse ISM in the far-IR and submillimeter, the mid-IR spectrum is still relatively unconstrained. We extend the correlation of dust emission with H I column densities to mid-IR wavelengths and look for evidence of variations in the emissivity of dust associated with local and halo gas. This is accomplished by spatially correlating the IR maps from the IRIS/IRAS survey at 12, 25, 60 and 100 μm with H I column density maps inferred from 21-cm line emission observations obtained with the GBT (at a 9′ resolution). We find that IVCs (halo clouds thought to be part of the Galactic fountain) show color ratios consistent with a dust evolution scenario in which large dust grains are shattered into smaller ones (VSGs). The low 12 μm emission found suggests a reduced abundance of PAHs in IVCs. We also address the IR extragalactic emission seen in our residual maps and quantify its power spectrum behaviour. Continuing with the mid-IR theme, we conducted a comprehensive study of the morphology and energetics of SNRs in the plane of our Galaxy. We make use of the Spitzer MIPSGAL (at 24 and 70 μm) and GLIMPSE (at 8 μm) surveys to detected infrared counterparts to SNR candidates in Green’s catalog. We find that a third of the sample shows IR emission and calculate the corresponding fluxes. We explore the relation between IR colors to place constraints on the different IR SNRs emission mechanisms. Aided by archival radio data, we find that most candidates detected show IR-to-radio ratios consistent with SNRs with a few exceptions displaying ratios seen in H II regions. Finally, we explore the connection between the IR and the high-energy X-ray emission of SNRs and find a good morphological association between the 24 μm emission and the X-ray features in younger remnants. The IR power is often greater.

This thesis investigates the impact of photoionisation on gas clouds of various scales in our Galaxy. On kiloparsec scales, the origin of the diffuse ionised gas (DIG) has been studied using Monte Carlo photoionisation simulations in static simulations of the interstellar medium (ISM). Low density pathways through the gas allow photons to propagate, producing the DIG. The emission in this gas indicates that the temperature increases as the density of the gas decreases, suggesting a heating mechanism in the gas that dominates over photoionisation. This has been investigated with the inclusion of an approximation to cosmic ray heating, which is able to reproduce the observed line ratios of [NII]/Hα and [SII]/Hα. It has been suggested that the Hα emission in this gas may not be a result of in situ emission, rather, it results from dust scattering of Hα photons from HII regions. Dust scattering simulations find that 20% of the Hα intensity observed in the diffuse gas is a result of scattering, leaving in situ ionisation as the primary producer of the DIG. The dynamical impact of photoionisation in small-scale gas clouds, as well as larger scale diffuse gas, is now recognised as important in our understanding of star forming regions. A new code has been developed using a combination of hydrodynamical and Monte Carlo photoionisation methods. Tests of the validity of this code are presented, showing that this method accurately reproduces benchmark tests. This method has been used to investigate the lifecycle and x-ray observations of ultra-compact HII (UCHII) regions with the inclusion of stellar wind and photoionisation feedback. These simulations find that x-ray emission is not produced in high enough intensity to be observed until after the UCHII phase, when stellar winds begin to drive the expansion.

We present the results of a program to map the Sh2-235 molecular cloud complex in the CO and (CO)-C-13 J = 2 - 1 transitions using the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope. The map resolution is 38 '' (FWHM), with an rms noise of 0.12K brightness temperature, for a velocity resolution of 0.34 km s(-1). With the same telescope, we also mapped the CO J = 3 - 2 line at a frequency of 345 GHz, using a 64 beam focal plane array of heterodyne mixers, achieving a typical rms noise of 0.5 K brightness temperature with a velocity resolution of 0.23 km s(-1). The three spectral line data cubes are available for download. Much of the cloud appears to be slightly sub-thermally excited in the J = 3 level, except for in the vicinity of the warmest and highest column density areas, which are currently forming stars. Using the CO and (CO)-C-13. J = 2 - 1 lines, we employ an LTE model to derive the gas column density over the entire mapped region. Examining a 125 pc(2). region centered on the most active star formation in the vicinity of Sh2-235, we find that the young stellar object surface density scales as approximately the 1.6-power of the gas column density. The area distribution function of the gas is a steeply declining exponential function of gas column density. Comparison of the morphology of ionized and molecular gas suggests that the cloud is being substantially disrupted by expansion of the H II regions, which may be triggering current star formation.

In this thesis we present cloud-scale ALMA observations of two local mergers, NGC 3256 and NGC 4038/9 (the "Antennae"), in CO J=2-1. Through a pixel-based analysis of NGC 3256 we measure molecular-gas properties and compare to nearby spiral galaxies from the PHANGS-ALMA survey. NGC 3256 exhibits high mass surface densities, velocity dispersions, peak brightness temperatures, virial parameters, and internal turbulent pressures. High surface densities are expected to accompany its high star-formation rate, and high brightness temperatures may indicate warmer gas, heated by the vigorous star formation. Large virial parameters and internal pressures imply the molecular gas is not bound by self-gravity, but we explore how material external to clouds could alter this. We argue the molecular gas in NGC 3256 is smoother than in nearby spiral galaxies down to 55 pc. We also perform a cloud analysis of our NGC 3256 observations, identifying 185 clouds, and find similar results to the pixel analysis. We calculate additional cloud properties including eccentricity, CO luminosity, CO-estimated mass, virial mass, size-linewidth coefficient, and free-fall time. Properties in NGC 3256 are extreme compared to clouds from PHANGS-ALMA, including slightly larger clouds and shorter free-fall times. Cloud eccentricities in NGC 3256 are similar to those in PHANGS-ALMA galaxies, possibly indicating similar average cloud dynamical states. The shape of the cloud mass function in NGC 3256 is similar to many PHANGS-ALMA galaxies. Finally, we analyse our NGC 4038/9 observations using the same pixel methods as used in NGC 3256. NGC 4038/9 also harbours extreme molecular-gas properties and potentially smoother emission compared to spiral galaxies, but not as extreme as NGC 3256. We find the most-massive spiral galaxies have central molecular-gas properties similar to the mergers. Virial parameters in NGC 4038/9 are similar to many spiral galaxies, making it quite different from NGC 3256, potentially due to their different merger stages. Comparison of the overlap region of NGC 4038/9 in CO (2-1) to CO (3-2) shows general agreement. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

We present a (CO)-C-12 (2-1) mosaic map of the spiral galaxy NGC 6946 by combining data from the Submillimeter Array and the IRAM 30m telescope. We identify 390 giant molecular clouds (GMCs) from the nucleus to 4.5 kpc in the disk. GMCs in the inner 1 kpc are generally more luminous and turbulent, some of which have luminosities > 10(6)K. km. s(-1) pc(2) and velocity dispersions > 10. km s(-1). Large-scale bar-driven dynamics likely regulate GMC properties in the nuclear region. Similar to the MilkyWay and other disk galaxies, GMC mass function of NGC 6946 has a shallower slope (index > -2) in the inner region, and a steeper slope (index < -2) in the outer region. This difference in mass spectra may be indicative of different cloud formation pathways: gravitational instabilities might play a major role in the nuclear region, while cloud coalescence might be dominant in the outer disk. Finally, the NGC 6946 clouds are similar to those inM33 in terms of statistical properties, but they are generally less luminous and turbulent than the M51 clouds.

We report the second complete molecular line data release from the Census of High-and Medium-mass Protostars (CHaMP), a large-scale, unbiased, uniform mapping survey at sub-parsec resolution, of millimeter-wave line emission from 303 massive, dense molecular clumps in the Milky Way. This release is for all (CO)-C-12 J = 1 -> 0 emission associated with the dense gas, the first from Phase II of the survey, which includes (CO)-C-12, (CO)-C-13, and (CO)-O-18. The observed clump emission traced by both (CO)-C-12 and HCO+ (from Phase I) shows very similar morphology, indicating that, for dense molecular clouds and complexes of all sizes, parsec-scale clumps contain. similar to 75% of the mass, while only 25% of the mass lies in extended (>10 pc) or "low density" components in these same areas. The mass fraction of all gas above a density of 10(9) m(-3) is xi(9) greater than or similar to 50%. This suggests that parsec-scale clumps may be the basic building blocks of the molecular interstellar medium, rather than the standard GMC concept. Using (CO)-C-12 emission, we derive physical properties of these clumps in their entirety, and compare them to properties from HCO+, tracing their denser interiors. We compare the standard X-factor converting I (CO)-C-12 to N-H2 with alternative conversions, and show that only the latter give whole-clump properties that are physically consistent with those of their interiors. We infer that the clump population is systematically closer to virial equilibrium than when considering only their interiors, with perhaps half being long-lived (10s of Myr), pressure-confined entities that only terminally engage in vigorous massive star formation, supporting other evidence along these lines that was previously published.

We observed the [C II] line in 15 lensed galaxies at redshifts 1 < z <. 3 using HIFI on the Herschel Space Observatory and detected 14/15 galaxies at 3 sigma or better. High magnifications enable even modestly luminous galaxies to be detected in [C II] with Herschel. The [C II] luminosity in this sample ranges from 8x10(7) L-circle dot to 3.7x10(9) L-circle dot (after correcting for magnification), confirming that [C II] is a strong tracer of the ISM at high redshifts. The ratio of the [C II] line to the total far-infrared (FIR) luminosity serves as a measure of the ratio of gas to dust cooling and thus the efficiency of the grain photoelectric heating process. It varies between 3.3% and 0.09%. We compare the [C II]/FIR ratio to that of galaxies at z = 0 and at high redshifts and find that they follow similar trends. The [C II]/FIR ratio is lower for galaxies with higher dust temperatures. This is best explained if increased UV intensity leads to higher FIR luminosity and dust temperatures, but gas heating does not rise due to lower photoelectric heating efficiency. The [C II]/FIR ratio shows weaker correlation with FIR luminosity. At low redshifts highly luminous galaxies tend to have warm dust, so the effects of dust temperature and luminosity are degenerate. Luminous galaxies at high redshifts show a range of dust temperatures, showing that [C II]/FIR correlates most strongly with dust temperature. The [C II] to mid-IR ratio for the HELLO sample is similar to the values seen for low-redshift galaxies, indicating that small grains and PAHs dominate the heating in the neutral ISM, although some of the high [CII]/FIR ratios may be due to turbulent heating.

New detections of HNC have been made toward 11 planetary nebulae (PNe), including K4-47, K3-58, K3-17, M3-28, and M4-14. These sources, which represent a wide range of ages and morphologies, had previously been observed in HCN by Schmidt & Ziurys. Measurements of the J = 1 -> 0 and J = 3 -> 2 transitions of HNC near 90 and 271 GHz were conducted using the new 12 m and the Sub-Millimeter Telescope of the Arizona Radio Observatory. HCN and HNC were also identified via their J = 1 -> 0 lines toward eight positions across the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293). Column densities for HNC, determined from radiative transfer modeling, were N-tot(HNC) similar to (0.06-4.0) x 10(13) cm(-2), corresponding to fractional abundances with respect to H-2 of f similar to (0.02-1.4) x 10(-7). The HCN and HNC column densities across the Helix were found to be N-tot (HCN) similar to (0.2-2.4). x. 10(12) cm(-2) and Ntot (HNC) similar to (0.07-1.6). x. 1012 cm(-2), with fractional abundances of (0.2-3.2) x 10(-7) and (0.09-2.2) x 10(-7). The [ HCN]/[ HNC] ratio varied between similar to 1-8 for all PNe, with [ HCN]/[ HNC] similar to 1-4 across the Helix. These values are greatly reduced from what has been found in asymptotic giant branch stars, where the ratio is typically > 100. Both the abundance of HNC and the [ HCN]/[ HNC] ratio do not appear to vary significantly with nebular age across a time span of similar to 10,000 years, in contrast to predictions of chemical models. The increase in HNC appears to arise in the proto-planetary stage, but becomes " frozen" once the PN phase is reached.

We present a comprehensive study of interstellar X-ray extinction using the extensive Chandra supernova remnant (SNR) archive and use our results to refine the empirical relation between the hydrogen column density and optical extinction. In our analysis, we make use of the large, uniform data sample to assess various systematic uncertainties in the measurement of the interstellar X-ray absorption. Specifically, we address systematic uncertainties that originate from (i) the emission models used to fit SNR spectra; (ii) the spatial variations within individual remnants; (iii) the physical conditions of the remnant such as composition, temperature, and non-equilibrium regions; and (iv) the model used for the absorption of X-rays in the interstellar medium. Using a Bayesian framework to quantify these systematic uncertainties, and combining the resulting hydrogen column density measurements with the measurements of optical extinction toward the same remnants, we find the empirical relation N-H = (2.87 +/- 0.12) x 10(21) A(V) cm(-2), which is significantly higher than the previous measurements.