• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.20 no.1 s.24
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• pp.11-20
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• 2005

We present measurements of interstellar $H_2$ absorption lines in the continuum spectra of 54 early-type stars in the Galactic disk and halo and 3 stars in the Magellanic Clouds. The data were obtained with the Berkeley Extreme and Far-Ultraviolet Spectrometer (BEFS), part of the ORFEUS telescope, which flew on the ORFEUS-SPAS I and II space-shuttle missions in 1993 and 1996, respectively. The spectra extend from the interstellar cutoff at $912{\AA}$ to about $1200{\AA}$ with a spectral resolution of ${\sim}3000$ and statistical signal-to-noise ratios between 10 and 65. Assuming a velocity profile derived from optical observations (when available), we model the column densities N(J) of the rotational levels J = 0 through 5 for each line of sight. Our data reproduce the relationships among molecular and total hydrogen column density, fractional molecular abundance, and reddening first seen in Copernicusobservations of nearby stars (Savage et al. 1977). The results show that most of these molecular clouds have $H_2$ total column densities between $10^{15}cm^{-2}$ and $10^{21}cm^{-2}$, and kinetic temperatures from 21 K to 232 K, with average of 89 K, consistent with the result of Copernicus (Savage et al. 1977).

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.145-153
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• 2009

We present measurements of diffuse interstellar $H_2$ absorption lines in the continuum spectra of 10 early-type stars. The data were observed with the Berkeley Extreme and Far-Ultraviolet Spectrometer (BEFS) of the ORFEUS telescope on board the ORFEUS-SPAS I and II space-shuttle missions in 1993 and 1996, respectively. The spectra extend from the interstellar cutoff at 912 $\AA$ to about 1200 $\AA$ with a resolution of ~ 3000 and statistical signal-to-noise ratios between 10 and 65. Adopting Doppler broadening velocities from high-resolution optical observations, we obtain the $H_2$ column densities of rotational levels J" = 0 through 5 for each line of sight. The kinetic temperatures derived from J" = 0 and 1 states show a small variation around the mean value of 80 K, except for the component toward HD 219188, which has a temperature of 211 K. Based on a synthetic interstellar cloud model described in our previous work, we derive the incident UV intensity IUV and the hydrogen density $n_H$ of the observed components to be -0.4 $\leq$ log $I_{UV}\leq2.2$ and $6.3{\leq}n_H2500cm^{-3}$, respectively.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.35-35
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• 1999

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.89-89
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• 1999

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 1999.09a
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• pp.81-81
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• 1999

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