Abstract
The physical properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) are determined by its interactions with stars in the galaxy and by its lack of interaction with matter and radiation outside the galaxy. Stars inject energy into the ISM in the form of starlight, stellar winds, and, in some cases, as super-novae; some of this energy is injected as cosmic rays. Stars inject mass into the ISM via stellar winds, planetary nebulae, and supernovae. The ISM recycles this mass by the process of star formation in regions where enough gas accumulates to become gravitationally unstable. External influences on the ISM are relatively small, however: the effective temperature of the ambient radiation (∽ 3K) is much less than the typical temperature of interstellar gas, and since our galaxy is not located in a rich cluster of galaxies, there is no evidence that the ambient intergalactic medium has a significant effect on the ISM.
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