Structure of Diffuse Emission in the Spitzer Galactic First Look Survey

Abstract

The density and velocity structure of the interstellar medium (ISM) must be understood to address many astrophysical problems. We summarize the spatial statistics of 24 μm emission for 10 diffuse fields in the Spitzer Galactic First Look Survey. In almost all regions we analyzed, the x and y spectral indices are nearly equal, implying that the density structure in emitting regions is isotropic. All but one spectral index we measure is shallower than the index predicted by the theory of Kolmogorov (1941). We discuss the implications of our results in the light of recent simulations of magnetized and non-magnetized hydrodynamic turbulence.

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