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Abstract:

Historically, the search for the inter-galactic medium (IGM) motivated the search for the Far Ultraviolet (<0.2 micron; FUV) background which in turn led to a number of experiments and missions. Decades later the focus shifted to FUV as the primary heating and ionizing agent of the atomic phases (warm and cold neutral medium). On the observational side, it was realized that at high Galactic latitudes, the diffuse FUV has three components: FUV light from hot stars in the Galactic plane reflected by dust grains (diffuse galactic light or DGL), FUV from other galaxies (extra-galactic background light, EBL) and a component of unknown origin. This view has been amply confirmed by later GALEX observations. During the eighties, there was considerable discussion that decaying dark matter particles produced FUV radiation. In my talk I systematically investigate production of FUV photons from all major sources capable of producing FUV emission. I conclude that two thirds of the observed background can be explained by the the sum of Galactic Hot Ionized Medium (line emission), two photon emission from the Warm Ionized Medium, low velocity shocks in the Galaxy and Lyman fluorescence in the Solar System (the interplanetary medium and the exosphere of Earth). I will end the talk introducing the Ultraviolet Explorer (UVEX).