FUSE Observations of the Loop I/Local Bubble Interaction Region

We used the FUSE (Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer) satellite to observe OVI emission along two sightlines towards the edge of the interaction zone (IZ) between the Loop I superbubble and the Local Bubble. One sightline was chosen because material in the interaction zone blocks distant X-ray emission, and should thus do the same for non-local OVI emission. We measured an OVI intensity of I_shadowed = 2750 +- 550 L.U. along this `Shadowed' sightline, and I_unshadowed = 10800 +- 1200 L.U. along the other sightline. Given these results, very little (< 800 L.U.) of the emission arises from the near side of the interaction zone, which likely has an HI column density of about 4e+20 cm-2 along the `Shadowed' sightline. The OVI emission arising within Loop I (~1e+4 L.U.) is probably associated with gas of n_e ~ 0.1 cm-3 and an emitting pathlength of ~1.2 pc, suggesting it arises at interfaces rather than from gas filling Loop I. In contrast, the CIII emission is similar along both sightlines, indicating that much of the emission likely arises on the near side of the interaction zone.
Comment: 29 pages, 3 EPS figures, 2 tables. To appear in ApJ 682, 2008 July 20