Far Ultraviolet Diffuse Emission from the Large Magellanic Cloud

TL;DR

This study reports the first measurements of diffuse far ultraviolet emission from the Large Magellanic Cloud, revealing that a significant portion of the radiation is diffuse and not directly from stars, with implications for dust heating.

Contribution

It provides the first observational data of far ultraviolet diffuse emission from the LMC using FUSE, highlighting the scattering and heating processes in the interstellar medium.

Findings

Diffuse radiation accounts for 5-20% of total emission, up to 45% near N70.

Less UV light is scattered compared to longer wavelengths, indicating dust heating dominates.

Much of the emission is not from nearby stars, suggesting other sources or processes.

Abstract

We present the first observations of diffuse radiation in the far ultraviolet (1000 -- 1150 \AA) from the Large Magellanic Cloud based on observations made with the {\it Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer}. The fraction of the total radiation in the field emitted as diffuse radiation is typically 5 -- 20\% with a high of 45\% near N70 where there are few exciting stars, indicating that much of the emission is not due to nearby stars. Much less light is scattered in the far ultraviolet than at longer wavelengths with the stellar radiation going into heating the interstellar dust.