Blue and red spectra of {omega} Cen HB stars

In particular, small-scale structures are difficult to study and hence are poorly understood. We used the multiplex capabilities of the AAOmega spectrograph at the Anglo-Australian Telescope to create a half-square-degree map of the neutral and low-ionized ISM in front of the nearby (~5kpc), most massive Galactic globular cluster, {omega} Centauri.

Its redshifted, metal-poor and hot horizontal branch stars probe the medium-strong CaII K and NaI D2 line absorption, and weak absorption in the {lambda}5780 and {lambda}5797 diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs), on scales around a parsec. The kinematical and thermodynamical picture emerging from these data is that we predominantly probe the warm neutral medium and weakly ionized medium of the Galactic Disc-Halo interface, ~0.3-1kpc above the mid-plane.