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Colloquium
Magnetism and morphology in the interstellar medium

Abstract

The interstellar medium (ISM) is a turbulent, multi-phase, magnetic environment. Magnetic fields thread our Milky Way Galaxy, influencing interstellar physics from cosmic ray propagation to star formation. The magnetic interstellar medium is also a formidable foreground for experimental cosmology. Despite its importance across scientific realms, the interstellar magnetic field and its influence on Galactic processes are not well understood. I will discuss new ways to probe interstellar magnetism and the phase structure of interstellar gas, with a particular focus on morphology: how the spatial structure of gas and dust encodes information about the physics of the ISM.