12:00–1:00 pm ERC 401
Dhanesh Krishnarao (University of Wisconsin-Madison), " The Inner Milky Way: Our New Closest LI(N)ER "
Host: Yiming Zhong
Recently, we discovered diffuse ionized gas associated with the bar of the Milky Way ~1-2 kpc from Galactic Center (The Tilted Disk) that exhibits optical emission line ratios characteristic of Low Ionization (Nuclear) Emission Regions [LI(N)ERs] in other galaxies. This makes the inner Milky Way the closest example of a LI(N)ER in the universe and gives us a unique opportunity to study and constrain many individual sources of ionization with spatially resolved, multi-wavelength observations. Additionally, continued studies of large samples of nearby galaxies can provide a face-on perspective towards understanding the distribution of the ISM near bars and the impact of bars on the ISM. I will share our current understanding of the ionizing radiation field throughout the Milky Way as constrained through optical line observations with the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (WHAM) and compare with findings from extragalactic integral field observations of Milky Way Analogs from SDSS MaNGA. In particular, the unique ionization mechanisms and anomalous optical line ratios surrounding bars will be shown and future steps towards constraining these mechanisms using simulations and new observations in the Milky Way will be discussed. Bridging the Milky Way with extragalactic systems allows for the power of statistics to provide insight on the formation and evolution of The Galaxy through cosmic time while also extrapolating high resolution observations from within to explain extragalactic trends and relations.