DISTRIBUTION OF TURBULENT INTERSTELLAR PLASMA IN THE GALAXY

It is shown that the turbulent interstellar plasma outside the spiral arms of the Galaxy has a statistically uniform distribution. The follo wing parameters are obtained for this medium: cloud size less than or equal to 26 pc, electron number density in the clouds 0.2-0.3 cm(-3), volume density of the clouds greater than or equal to 1.1 x 10(-5) pc( -3), and scale height of the cloud distribution above the Galactic pla ne similar or equal to 0.9 kpc. Possible sources of ionization for the se clouds are discussed. and it is shown that B and A stars do not pla y a significant role in this ionization. It is proposed that the outer envelopes of a substantial fraction of the clouds are ionized by shoc k waves created during the supersonic motion of cold clouds of neutral hydrogen in a medium consisting of lower-density neutral gas.