Interstellar Medium and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics

3 Credits.

The interstellar medium (ISM) is the reservoir of gas and dust between stars that serves as the nursery of new stars and planets. This course will give an overview of the often extreme physics and chemistry of the ISM under its observed range of temperatures, densities, and radiation fields. It will cover the processes that govern the interactions between the ISM, stars, and their host galaxies, including star and planet formation, and feedback from stellar death. The observational methods and results that underpin the theories of interstellar environments will be highlighted.